TAIPEI, TAIWAN - AIRLINES have laid on scores of additional flights so that tens of thousands of Taiwanese living in China can return to vote in Saturday's election, company officials said.

They said the vast majority were expected to fly via Hong Kong, Macau and Jeju in South Korea, the three primary transit points for air travel between mainland China and Taiwan.

Because of cross-strait hostilities, Taiwan has no direct transport links with China except for seaborne travel between its small islands of Kinmen and Matsu and ports in Fujian province.

Airlines including Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific and Taiwan's EVA Airways and China Airlines scheduled 68 extra one-way flights on top of their regular services between March 15 and March 26, the officials said.

Taiwanese are not allowed to vote abroad.

An estimated one million Taiwanese live in mainland China, many having set up businesses there and brought their families over, and others having married Chinese spouses.

Around 250,000 people are said to be coming back to vote.

Saturday's election pits Frank Hsieh of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party against frontrunner Ma Ying Jeou of the opposition Kuomintang to succeed outgoing President Chen Shui Bian.