China Eastern Airlines announced on Jun. 20 that flight fares for weekend charter flights from Shanghai to Taipei and immediately started selling tickets.

The carrier is charging 3,700 yuan (US$528.6) for a round trip of Economy Class flight, while Business Class costs 5,500 yuan, both including taxes.

Group tickets, for at least 10 passengers, costs 2,600 yuan each, the company said in a statement.

Between Jul. 4 and 31, a passenger aircraft will leave Nanjing city in east China at 9 a.m. every Friday and arrive at Taipei at noon. The returning flight will start at 1 p.m. and arrive in Nanjing at 4 p.m. the same day.

China Eastern will also arrange flights which will depart at 9 a.m. from Shanghai on every Monday and Friday and arrive in Taipei at noon. The return flight leaves at 1 p.m. from Taipei.

Shanghai Airlines, another to fly the route, announced the same prices on Jun. 19. It said ticket sales would start soon without giving a specific date.

Other mainland airlines allowed to offer the weekend charters are still working on prices. They include Air China, China Southern Airlines, Hainan Airlines and Xiamen Airlines.

The cross-strait weekend charters, to start on Jul. 4, will include 36 return flights each weekend from Friday to Monday.