Direct flight service between Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) and Gimpo airport in Seoul, South Korea, has finally become a reality after Taiwan signed an aviation pact with South Korea yesterday.
The service was part of President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) campaign promises of building a “Golden Aviation Circle in Northeast Asia” to connect Taipei, Shanghai, Tokyo and Seoul.
Sources within the Civil Aeronautics Administration had indicated that South Korea had been unwilling to negotiate direct flight service because it was requesting that Taiwan give South Korean flights the right to fly to a third country after they arrive in this nation, also known as the “fifth freedom of the air.” Both sides had been unable to reach consensus on the issue.
Civil Aeronautics Administration Director-General Yin Chen-pong (尹承蓬) said that the negotiations were this time limited to passenger flight services between the two airports. The parties did not talk about the possibility of granting the fifth freedom of the air, he said.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the direct flight service between the two airports will begin in March next year, when the International Air Transport Association starts to implement its summer scheduling.
Each side is allowed to dispatch seven flights a week, and the governments on both sides can assign specific carriers to offer the direct flight service, using aircraft that can carry 200 passengers or less.
The capacity for the flight service between the Taoyuan and Incheon airports, on the other hand, has been increased from 4,500 seats to 5,500 seats a week.
Like Songshan, Gimpo is located in its country’s capital. According to the administration, passengers arriving at Incheon airport spend about 80 to 90 minutes on the road before they reach downtown Seoul. Travel time will be reduced by about 20 minutes if they arrive at Gimpo airport.
Statistics from the Ministry of Transportation and Communications showed that South Korean visitors to Taiwan had increased from about 167,600 in 2009 to about 216,900 last year. Taiwanese visitors to South Korea had also risen from about 380,500 in 2009 to 406,300 last year.
Currently, Taiwan has 50 weekly flights to South Korea, offered by China Airlines (中華航空), EVA Airways (長榮航空), Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways and Thai Airways.
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