A number of aviations pacts in the making will expand Taiwanese airliners’ presence in the global flight network and help make the Taoyuan Aerotropolis project a reality, officials with the Civil Aeronautics Administration said Feb. 15.
According to Yin Chen-pong, director-general of the CAA, Taiwan and Vietnam have recently concluded an amendment to their bilateral aviation agreement to grant each other the fifth freedom of the air for cargo transport.
“This amendment will allow airline operators from both sides to pick up and offload cargo in the other’s designated airports on their flights to the final destinations,” Yin explained, adding that the new arrangement will give more operation flexibility to local businesses.
An unnamed CAA official noted that Taiwan and Singapore are also expected to hold talks in late March on lifting the cap on the number of flights between the two countries, with the ultimate goal of signing an open sky agreement.
In addition, the CAA is in talks with Hong Kong for expanded flight services and will meet with mainland Chinese authorities in May for similar arrangements, the official pointed out.
“We are also holding aviation discussions with several European countries, and have been approached by the government of Palau seeking more flight services,” the official added.
The agency expects to conclude a pact with the South Korean government for direct flight services between Taipei Songshan Airport and Seoul’s Kimpo International Airport, giving the final touch to ROC President Ma Ying-jeou’s campaign promise to build a golden aviation network linking the city airports of Taipei, Tokyo, Seoul and Shanghai.
The Taoyuan Aerotropolis is a state-backed project to transform Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport into a major logistics hub in East Asia. (HZW)
Write to Meg Chang at meg.chang@mail.gio.gov.tw