EVA wins big in air deal between Tokyo and Taipei

EVA Airways Corp (長榮) was the big winner in the recent re-negotiation of the air rights agreement between Taiwan and Japan, seeing its flight frequency to Tokyo jumping almost 1,000 percent and putting its service of the lucrative route on par with arch rival China Airlines Co (華航), according to executives and officials.

The new agreement will also relocate Taiwan flights to Tokyo from the Haneda Airport to Narita International Airport, reversing a decision made by the Japanese government 27 years ago when, under pressure from China, it forced Taiwanese airlines to fly to the domestic Haneda terminal.

Under the new agreement EVA will operate 21 flights per week -- or three per day -- between Taipei and Tokyo up from a mere two per week, while China Airlines' frequencies will increase by one, bringing its total flights on this route to 22 per week.

The new air agreement was signed between the civil aviation authorities of both countries on Feb. 8 and will relocate all flights of China Airlines and EVA to Narita beginning on April 18, when its recently completed second runway will open for service.

Japan made the decision to land all Taiwanese air carrier flights at the domestic Haneda as opposed to the Narita International Airport under pressure from Beijing to which it switched diplomatic recognition in 1971.

Hou Chien-wen (侯建文), director of the Civil Aeronautics Administration's air route department, told the Taipei Times that the relocation of Taiwan flights to Narita, where capacity has increased due to the new runway, allowed for greater balance between the airlines in the frequency of Tokyo-bound flights.

"Under the principle of equality, we brought up EVA's frequency to 21 flights per week from only two," Hou said.

EVA will actually only directly operate 14 flights itself servicing the other seven through a code-sharing agreement with Air Nippon Airways, according to a company statement.

"Historically, routes between Taiwan and Japan have been heavily traveled for both business and leisure purposes," said EVA Airways President Kitty Yen (嚴若琪) in the statement. "We have looked forward to expanding service between Taipei and Tokyo for a long time," she added.

Japanese passengers -- who make up the largest group of foreign visitors to Taiwan -- have consistently featured prominently in EVA's plans to boost revenue.

The expanded Taipei-Tokyo route frequencies come as boost for EVA which has been kept in the wings on the extremely lucrative Taipei-Hong Kong route with only 16 flights per week compared with China Airlines' 105.

In related news, China Airlines announced yesterday it would inaugurate three weekly passenger flights to Dehli, India starting from April 1, to match growing demand between Taiwan and India.

The inauguration of the passenger service will follow that of a cargo service in 1999.

According to China Airlines in 2000, 11,800 Taiwanese traveled to India and 13,200 Indians to Taiwan, representing growth rates of 30 percent and 15 percent, respectively.