Nation's 1st Flight to Sansha Planned

Tourists arrive at Yongxing Island in Sansha, Hainan Province, on Sunday. China’s youngest city, Sansha was established last July on Yongxing Island in the South China Sea and is expected to become a popular travel destination. [China Daily]

In Mo Qun's eyes, Sansha, the country's youngest city, will become China's Maldives, attracting tourists for island-to-island trips in the near future.

Mo, general manager of Meiya Air Co Ltd, said the company has purchased five amphibious aircraft to help realize that dream.

Two Cessna planes, which can take 19 passengers each, are already in Sanya, and the rest will be delivered soon, he said.

"Meiya Air is planning to launch air express routes from Sanya to Sansha," Mo told China Daily on Sunday, adding that the 70-minute flight would attract tourists who are put off by the 10-hour boat trip.

"Then flights between the islands of Sansha will be our next target," he said.

However, he said the company is still waiting for government approval of its plans.

Sansha is China's youngest city, having been set up in July on Yongxing Island in the South China Sea region to administer the Xisha, Zhongsha and Nansha island groups and their surrounding waters. With a total area of 13 square kilometers and a maritime area of 2.6 million sq km, it is the smallest prefecture-level city in both population and land area.

On Friday, phase 1 of a port on Yongxing Island for civil use was completed with nine berths built, for an investment of about 340 million yuan (US$55 million). A new supply ship, the Sansha No 1, will be completed in early 2014 to help transport much-needed materials to the islands.