President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) presided yesterday morning over a ribbon-cutting ceremony that marked the opening of Taichung's Chingchuankang International Airport. Three international charter flights departed from the airport.
Chen praised the completion of the airport's first-phase development, which only took six months.
PHOTO: SUNG CHIH-HSIUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
"An international airport in central Taiwan has long been looked forward to by local residents. As the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, I was able to take an active role in negotiations with the Ministry of Defense and persuade them to accommodate civilian use of the Chingchuankang military airbase. This is a dream come true for Taichung residents," Chen said.
The airport's opening has brought about a round of political bickering over whether it is being opened prematurely.
"Construction on the Taichung International Airport can not be completed in just one phase," Chen said.
"In the past 10 years, many legislators, local representatives and social groups, no matter their political background, fought for this airport," Chen said.
"This is not the selfish work of just one person or one political party. This is something that everyone has been anticipating," he said.
"The completion of the airport is a long-term goal," said Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) Director General Billy Chang (張國政).
"In the future, the airport will expand to the west," Chang said, saying that details for the airport's construction from last year through 2006 had been laid out in budgeting. Chang said that the speed of future construction would depend on regional demand.
Chen called attention to the absence of two Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) members, Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (
"Because of the close proximity of the presidential elections, neither [Hu] nor [Huang] is present at this important event," Chen said.
Both men had previously welcomed the idea of an international airport in central Taiwan.
Hu later said that he had not received an invitation until yesterday morning, which was too late for him to make arrangements to attend.
"The local government had recommended that the transfer to Chingchuankang Airport be completed in one year, followed by cross-strait direct flights in three years, and then the establishment of Chingchuankang Airport as an international facility was to come in five years' time. No one said that an international airport had to be established in half a year," Hu said, criticizing the timing of the airport's opening.
However, Chang said that while he was only fulfilling his duties as a civil servant in helping launch the airport yesterday, the CAA would insist that safety and service could not be compromised under any circumstances.
Meanwhile, KMT Legislator Chi Kuo-tung (
Shuinan Airport in Taichung will relocate to Chingchuankang airport today, where domestic service will resume. Shuttle buses have been arranged for travelers who go to Shuinan Airport by mistake.
The three international chartered flights that departed yesterday were operated by China Airlines and Far Eastern Air Transport and were bound for Tokyo, Phuket and Palau. All three will return to CKS International Airport.
Chartered by the Taichung Chamber of Commerce, the three flights were filled to capacity. Passengers were given commemorative stamps as well as toy models of China Airlines aircraft to mark the airport's opening.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group
RSS