China, Japan hold aviation talks

China and Japan held a civil aviation negotiation in Wuhan on March 7-8 to enhance flights between the two countries. The Chinese delegation was led by Vice Director Liu Fang of the International Cooperation Department of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, and the Japanese delegation was led by Director Ryuhei Maeda of the Civil Aviation Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The two parties discussed the future of the China-Japan air transport market, and the charter air route between Shanghai Hongqiao Airport and Tokyo Haneda Airport. China and Japan signed the first civil aviation transport agreement in 1974, and are now the two leading air transport markets in the world. During the winter-spring season last year, there were 15 Chinese and Japanese airlines operating 680 scheduled flights every week. Of these, 12 Chinese airlines operate 336 passenger flights and 41 cargo flights every week from 18 domestic cities to 17 Japanese cities. Three Japanese airlines fly 270 passenger flights and 33 cargo flights every week from four Japanese cities to 10 Chinese cities.