The Civil Aviation Administration of China announced on Sunday it has opened a third extension of the M503 flight route, which falls within the Shanghai flight information region, to ease air traffic congestion in the region and ensure safety.

The newly opened W121 connection line of the M503 route was the third extension after W122 and W123, which are to the south of W121, opened last year. All three go west to east, from the mainland in the direction of Taiwan.

Chen Binhua, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said that the measure is aimed at easing the pressure of increased flights in the region, ensuring flight safety, reducing flight delays, and safeguarding the rights of passengers, which is beneficial for compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

The M503 route is located within the Shanghai Flight Information Region, and the establishment and operation of the route are routine tasks of the mainland civil aviation authority, Chen said. Since the launch of the M503 route and the connecting routes W122 and W123 last year, overall operations have been safe and stable, effectively improving cross-Strait flight operations and further facilitating the travel of people between the two sides, he said.