Chiang Kai Shek International Airport (CKS), apparently upbeat about the chances of direct links being established with China, has already recorded boarding calls in English for flights on Chinese airlines to destinations such as Beijing and Urumqi.
According to a source at a local recording studio, CKS wanted to record the announcements for departures and arrivals for around 35 cities in China.
These locations include Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Lhasa, Xian, Shenzhen, Dalian, Chengdu, Kunming and Urumuqi.
The recordings also include the names of Chinese airlines, which are currently prohibited from flying to Taiwan, including national carrier Air China (中國航空), China Eastern Airlines (中國東方航空), China Northwest Airlines (中國西北航空) and China Southwest Airlines (中國西南航空).
An airport official denied that the management had received instructions from the government to prepare for direct air links with China -- which have been suspended for more than 50 years.
Instead she said the airport management thought it was pertinent to prepare for eventual direct air links by soliciting bids for the recording contract prior to any government directive.
The Civil Aeronautics Administration, which oversees the nation's aviation industry, denied requesting that the announcements be recorded, adding that it was reasonable the airport may have decided to make the recordings on its own.
The issue has long been postponed -- much to the chagrin of domestic airlines who are hungering for the opening of the potentially lucrative routes -- due to Beijing's insistence that Taipei acknowledge its "one China" policy.
Negotiations over a new air agreement for the long-established route between Taiwan and Hong Kong are only now moving toward a conclusion after being delayed for more than a year over who from the Taiwan side should negotiate and sign the agreement.
Hong Kong -- guided by Beijing -- had hoped that the new agreement would follow the old format by allowing the airlines to sign. But Taipei has sought official representation at the talks.
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