Air China announced that it will increase the number of direct flights it offers between the mainland and Taiwan, according to a South China Morning Post report. China’s secondlargest airline said it will offer 27 cross-strait flights a week as early as August. The announcement follows last month’s expanded air-service pact, signed by Beijing and Taipei, to increase the number of flights to 270 a week from 108 in an effort to promote crossstrait tourism and business. Air China’s managing director, Lou Yongfeng said that high load factors and relatively higher ticket prices have made thoseroutes profitable for the airline.