Shandong Airlines has restarted its non-stop service between Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport (TAO) and Taichung Qingquan Gang Airport (RMQ) in Taiwan, restoring a key cross-strait air corridor that had been dormant since 2019. Flight SC4633 departed Qingdao at 07:50 on 23 July carrying 167 passengers and landed in Taichung at 10:20; the return leg SC4634 was scheduled to bring 172 travellers back to the mainland the same afternoon. The relaunch trims journey times to two-and-a-half hours and eliminates the need for transits via Taipei or Hong Kong. The route will operate twice weekly initially, ramping up to four frequencies as demand recovers. Corporate travellers in Shandong’s thriving petrochemical and consumer-electronics sectors are expected to be major beneficiaries, as Taichung hosts clusters of precision-machinery suppliers that feed mainland supply chains. The Shandong provincial government has signalled further incentives—such as priority slots and reduced airport charges—to encourage airlines to reopen more cross-strait links. Travel managers should note that passengers must still comply with Taiwan’s online entry declaration and COVID-19 vaccination certificate upload (where applicable). Mainland residents travelling for business need the appropriate Taiwan Compatriot Permit with an endorsement code ‘T’. The reinstatement dovetails with Beijing’s broader push to normalise cross-strait exchanges: visa-free entry for Taiwan residents will continue, and expect simplified customs channels for goods carried by business passengers before year-end. Corporations with facilities in both Shandong and central Taiwan should revisit their travel policies to leverage the faster connection. Tourism boards on both sides have already launched joint marketing campaigns focusing on coastal leisure and culinary tours, signalling confidence that two-way passenger volume could reach 150,000 in the first 12 months—a boon for hotels and ground-transport providers in both cities.
Source: Yicai (China Business News)
