Aeronauts from the mainland and Taiwan will fly a hot air balloon across the Taiwan Straits for the first time next year, a source close to the plan said yesterday.

"The flight is expected to take place in July or August, depending on weather conditions," Du Jin'en, secretary-general of the Aero Sports Federation of Fujian province, told the Xinhua News Agency.

Aeronauts from the mainland and Taiwan have been discussing the flight since 1999, but could not make actual plans until this year, he said.

"Warming cross-Straits relations make the flight possible," he said.

Cross-Straits relations have started to relax since Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou took office on May 20. The two sides resumed talks that had been suspended for nearly 10 years.

In their recent round of talks in Taipei, the two sides agreed on direct shipping and air transport services.

Du said the balloon is expected to take off from a site between Yunlin and Taoyun in western Taiwan and land between Chongwu and Fuqing in Fujian province.

The flight is likely to take three to four hours if wind conditions are perfect and six to seven hours if they are not, he said.

Two aeronauts, one from the mainland and one from Taiwan, will pilot the balloon. There might be also be a passenger, Du said, without elaborating.

The Taipei Hot Air Balloon Association came up with the idea for the flight, he said.

"The two sides set up teams to prepare for the flight and now we've started applications for approval from relevant authorities," Du said.

A piloted hot air balloon has never flown across the Taiwan Straits, he said.

"To fly over the Straits has significant meaning," Du said.

The Taiwan Straits is 135 km across at its narrowest point.

(China Daily, Xinhua News Agency, November 26, 2008)