An amphibious plane has recently begun to fly tourists between Yantai and Dalian cities across the Bohai Bay off north China.
The flights newly opened by Shandong Airlines takes off from Yantai in Shandong Province at 1:00 p.m. every day, and returns
from Dalian in Liaoning Province at 3:30 p.m. on the same day.
The luxury plane, imported from the United States, is equipped with pontoons so that it can land on and take off from the sea, airline officials said.
It is also believed to be the first amphibious plane used for regular commercial flights in north China.
The flight takes about one hour, while the same trip takes three to eight hours by sea, and even longer by land.
( Xinhua News Agency December 11, 2001)
