TAIPEI (29 Jan., 2003) – EVA Air's first cross-strait flight from Shanghai arrived in Taipei fully booked with 380 passengers and on schedule at 4:36 p.m.  EVA President Steve Lin joined four flight crew, 16 cabin crew and six staff members in accompanying the festive flight and welcoming the Taiwanese businessmen onboard home for the Chinese New Year holiday.  EVA celebrated the flight by hosting a special tea party in the departure lounge of Pudung International Airport for approximately 500 people, including high-ranking airline and government officials from Shanghai and Mainland China, and the passengers traveling on the historic cross-strait flight.   "The Chinese New Year is a time for Chinese families to hold reunions and be together.  EVA is happy to provide this special chartered flight to bring Taiwanese businessmen who work in Shanghai home to be with their families on this holiday,” said Steve Lin, EVA Air president.  “The lock that has prevented cross-strait air service for the past 50 years has now been broken, and aircraft from Taiwan can land in Mainland China.  It is our goal to serve our passengers when and where they need us, and we hope to be able to provide more prompt, direct flights for cross-strait travel within the very near future.”         EVA made a ferry flight to Pudong earlier in the day.  Passenger flight BR1712 departed Shanghai at 12:41 p.m. and, after a brief technical stop in Macau, arrived at Chiang Kai-Shek International Airport at 4:36 p.m. (16:36).   The airline commemorated this momentous flight with a specially designed card featuring the signatures of the captain and chief purser, and a display space for passengers'  boarding passes.  Upon check-in, each passenger's boarding pass received a special chop reading, "To commemorate the first flight to Mainland China's Pudung – Taipei chartered services."   To bring good luck for the coming year, EVA also presented each passenger with a specially prepared gourmet snack box.   On Feb. 8, 2003, at the end of the Chinese New Year holiday, EVA charter flight BR1711 will depart Taipei at 4:00 p.m. to return the expatriate businessmen to Shanghai at 8:15 p.m.  Including the short technical stops in Macau on both inbound and outbound trips, estimated flight-time in both directions if four hours and 15 minutes.