BEIJING - More direct flights will soon be launched between two Chinese mainland cities and Taipei to meet increasing market demand, two mainland airlines said Sunday.

Starting October 31, China Eastern Airlines will increase its number of weekly direct flights between Hefei and Taipei to three from the current one, a company spokesman said.

Hefei is the capital of East China's Anhui province.

In addition, starting November 1, China Southern Airlines will increase its number of weekly direct flights between Shenyang and Taipei to three from the current two, a company spokesman said.

Shenyang is the capital of Northeast China's?Liaoning province.

Over the past several months, airlines from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan have either launched new air routes or increased their number of weekly flights between cities on the mainland and Taiwan to better serve the growing demands of tourists.

Industry analysts said that existing flight services cannot meet the increasing market demand against the backdrop of growing economic, cultural and personnel exchanges between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.