China Airlines, Taiwan carrier on Monday said that it has to put off its decision on whether to cut its passenger flights between Hong Kong and Taiwan until cross-strait relations get better.

The revelation came following a report by a local newspaper that the carrier would cut its passenger flights between Hong Kong and Taiwan by almost 20 per cent when direct weekend charter services between Taiwan and the mainland start on 4th July.

A spokeswoman from the company's Taipei head office said, "At this time we don't have such a specific plan. When cross-strait relations improve and market trends are clearer, then we'll make a specific plan".

On Tuesday, Taiwan president-elect Ma Ying-jeou will be taking up his office and his appointment is expected to help making relations between China and the island better.

Michael Wu, general manager of the carrier's Hong Kong branch, said that 2 - 3 daily services from Hong Kong would be cut and a few Airbus A330-300 planes would be used for direct cross-strait flights.

Wu said, "It's pretty obvious that people would prefer to travel directly from Taiwan to the mainland in 90 minutes instead of spending half a day transiting in Hong Kong".

Wu also said that the airline's Hong Kong office, which accounts for about 10 per cent of the carrier's total sales, witnesses an increase of 5 to 10 per cent in its revenues this year.