Air China announced that it will increase the number of direct flights it offers between the mainland and Taiwan, the South China Morning Post reported. China’s second-largest airline said it will offer 27 cross-strait flights a week as early as August. The announcement follows last month’s expanded air-service pact, signed by Beijing and Taipei, to increase the number of flights to 270 a week from 108 in an effort to promote cross-strait tourism and business. Air China’s managing director, Lou Yongfeng, said that high load factors and relatively higher ticket prices have made those routes profitable for the airline.