TAIPEI: Taiwan's aviation authorities said Monday that scheduled regular flights between the island and China would begin later than expected as the mainland still had some technical issues to resolve.

Taiwan's Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) said the first of the historic trips would take off on August 31, a few weeks later than planned.

An official said: "We've finished the preparatory work early this month and suggested to the mainland authorities that the regular flights start in mid-August.

"But they said they would not be able to complete the preparatory work by that time."

Five Taiwanese airlines are set to operate 135 flights a week between four local cities and 19 Chinese destinations, while a total of nine Chinese carriers will share 135 trips to the island.

The two agreed in talks last year part of a series that has reversed six decades of hostility -- to begin direct chartered flights between the mainland and Taiwan, with the first trip taking place later in the year.

In April this year they agreed to expand the arrangement to include scheduled flights. Beijing considers the island part of its territory awaiting reunification, by force if necessary, despite their split in 1949 after a civil war. LINK