HAIKOU - Five more direct flights will be launched between the Chinese mainland's southern island province of Hainan and Taiwan to meet increasing market demand, bringing the total number of direct flights between the two regions to nine, a local official said Sept 8.

Taiwan's China Airlines will open a new direct air route between Taipei and Haikou, the provincial capital of Hainan, on Oct 30, with three round-trip flights per week, said Liu Geng, deputy director of the Hainan Provincial Office of Taiwan Affairs.

In addition, Taiwan's EVA Air will open a new direct air route between Taipei and Haikou on Oct 31, with two round-trip flights per week, Liu said.

"The new air routes will help promote economic, cultural and personnel exchanges between Hainan and Taiwan," Liu said.

Hainan Airlines currently operates two direct flights per week between Haikou and Taipei, while China Airlines runs two direct flights between Sanya and Taipei.

"With exchanges between Hainan and Taiwan becoming more and more frequent, existing flight services cannot meet the growing market demand," Liu said.

Local government statistics show that Hainan received 70,000 visitors from Taiwan in 2010, a number which was surpassed by the end of the first half of this year.