Travelers to the UK now have more flexibility when they plan their flights because Taiwan and the UK have agreed to increase the frequency of passenger and cargo flights between the two countries, the Civil Aeronautics Administration announced yesterday.
A new aviation pact signed by Taiwan’s Representative to the UK Katharine Chang (張小月) and British Trade and Cultural Office (BTCO) Director David Campbell on Wednesday allows Taiwanese carriers China Airlines (CAL) and EVA Airways (EVA) to service a total of 21 passenger flights to the UK each week. Flights to London will be increased from 10 to 14 per week.
The new pact also enables CAL and EVA to service seven passenger flights per week from Taipei to Manchester.
In addition, the carriers can increase the number of cargo flights to Manchester from three to 10 per week. The number of cargo flights to London will remain at three per week.
The administration said the added flights could start from March 27 next year, when the airlines announce their summer flight schedules.
Taiwan and the UK signed their first formal aviation pact in November last year, replacing a 1992 agreement signed by the Taipei Airlines Association with British Airways.
The two started negotiating a new aviation pact in June because demand for flights between two countries increased following last year’s decision by the UK to waive visa requirements for Taiwanese tourists.
CAL currently provides three non-stop passenger flights to London and three cargo flights to Manchester per week, with stopovers in New Delhi or Luxembourg.
EVA offers seven passenger flights to London via Bangkok and three cargo flights to London per week. Neither CAL nor EVA offer passenger flights to Manchester.
Civil Aeronautics Administration Director of Planning Betty Cheng (程嘉莉) said the four new flights to London would be equally distributed between CAL and EVA.
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