Chinese carrier mulls charter flights to Bahamas

SHANGHAI - China Eastern Airlines, one of the country's leading carriers, will undertake a feasibility test on charter flights from China to the Bahamas, the airline's general manager Liu Shaoyong said Sunday.

Liu made the remarks in meeting with Bahamian Prime Minister Perry Christie, who visited the Shanghai-based carrier to discuss the prospect of direct flights from China to the Bahamas.

Christie said a direct air link would bring more Chinese tourists and investors to his country, and the first direct flight between China and the Caribbean will begin this September.

Air China announced it would launch its first direct air route, from Beijing to the Cuban capital of Havana, on Sept 28, marking a huge cut in travel time between China and the Caribbean.

Christie, who was visiting China for the first ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC forum, told Liu that he came to Beijing from the Bahamian capital of Nassau via Miami and Chicago, a trip of nearly 20 hours.

With the visa-waiver policy, Chinese visitors can stay up to 30 days in the Bahamas, which would help further promote bilateral tourism exchanges, Christie said.

Liu said China Eastern was trying to expand its network to Carribean and South American countries.

"We will cooperate with our Skyteam partners Delta to bring more passengers to the Bahamas," Liu said.