Taiwan-based TransAsia Airways is to launch non-stop flights between Taipei Songshan airport and Chongqing Jiangbei airport in March 2011. Flights will operate every Thursday and Saturday.

TransAsia said it is shifting its focus to second-tier cities in the Chinese mainland as the competition in first-tier cities is intense. The carrier has already launched flights to the provinces of Hebei and Anhui.

In the passenger flight sector, non-stop flights between Chongqing and Hanoi are due to start on 6 March, with a twice-weekly service. The flight time will be one hour 50 minutes.