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Airlines gear up for business from 'small three links'

Taiwan's domestic airlines are scrambling to get a share of the potentially lucrative cross-strait air transport market as the government moves closer to opening "small three links" with China.

TransAsia Airways and UNI Airlines have decided to increase flights from Taiwan proper to the offshore island of Kinmen starting Nov. 1, while Far East Air Transport plans to operate additional flights beginning Dec. 1, banking on the belief that direct trade, mail and transportation links between the Taiwan-held frontline islands of Kinmen and Matsu and selected Chinese port cities -- commonly known as the "small three links" -- will begin at the end of the year.

TransAsia authorities foresee that once the "small three links" take effect, air transport of passengers and cargo between Kinmen, Matsu and Taiwan will boom as products originating from China will be legally allowed to enter Taiwan via the offshore islands.

TransAsia has decided to add one daily round-trip flight to its Taipei-Kinmen route, giving it three such flights a day, while its Kaohsiung-Kinmen round-trip flights will remain unchanged at three flights per day. UNI Airlines will also provide three Taipei-Kinmen round-trip flights daily, an increase of one, while the number of its Kaohsiung-Kinmen daily round-trip flights will increase from one to two from Nov. 1.

Far East Air Transport also plans to add one daily round-trip flight on its Taipei-Kinmen route, from Dec. 1. Currently, only UNI Airlines operates five round-trip flights and five one-way flights between Taipei and Matsu daily and has no plans for an increase.

Meanwhile Taiwan may end a 50-year ban next year on visits by Chinese tourists -- possibly as soon as next June -- Premier Chang Chun-hsiung told lawmakers Friday.
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