Taiwanese carriers win right to fly over China

In order to ensure aircraft safety during the war against Iraq, the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) said yesterday that Tai-wanese aircraft bound for Europe will be allowed to fly through China's airspace via three substitute routes.

CAA Director-General Billy Chang (張國政) proposed the substitute routes after the American Institute in Taiwan issued two notices to the Ministry of Transportation and Communications warning about aircraft and vessel safety on Thursday.

With the route through China, flights, after departing from Taipei, would stop over at Bangkok and then fly northward over the Chinese cities of Kunming, Chengdu and Lanzhou before proceeding over Russia and on to Europe, Chang said.

According to Article 28 of the Statute Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), Taiwanese vessels, aircraft and other such vehicles cannot travel through China without the government's permission.

Chang said the Executive Yuan had given the carriers permission to use China's airspace during the war.

According to agency's second substitute route, planes, after departing from Taipei, will stop over at Bangkok before flying over India, Iran and Turkey before landing in Europe, Chang said.

Carriers using the third route will depart from Taipei and fly directly north over Okinawa and then over Siberia to Europe, Chang said.

According to the CAA, carriers taking the original route, after a stopover in Bangkok, fly through India, Saudi Arabia and the Red Sea before arriving in Europe.

"The original route passes through the zone where the coalition forces are conducting military operations," Chang said.

According to Chang, the three substitute routes are all shorter than the original one. But he said he is not sure whether the costs associated with the three routes would be lower.

China Airlines and EVA Airways are the two domestic carriers that would be affected. Chang said the agency has informed the airlines of the substitute routes.

According to Chang, the agency and the airlines discussed substitute routes early last month. Chang said they did not decide on the routes at that time because they did not know how wide the range of military operations would be.

Chang said the airlines were able apply to operate flights on the route via China as of yesterday.

"The airlines can still choose to fly their original route, but it would be a very dangerous thing to do," Chang added.

China Airlines spokesman Roger Han (韓粱中) said the airline has sent the CAA its application to fly over China yesterday.

But Han said the airline would not necessarily fly that route.

"At present, the airline will still operate flights to Europe on the original route," he said.

Han said the airline did not consider using the route via Siberia because it does not pass Bangkok, the airline's most vital stopover in Southeast Asia.

EVA public-relations specialist Eric Lin (林司忠) said the airline also plans to apply to fly the route via China in a few days.

"But EVA will still fly its original route [for now]," he said.

Both companies said they do not plan to raise ticket prices owing to the war.