EVA Airways is today to announce which flights would be canceled from Monday to Friday next week due to a strike by its flight attendants, Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) said yesterday, adding that the airline’s transport capacity this weekend is to exceed 50 percent of its regular capacity following the return of cabin crew from overseas.
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications yesterday held its seventh emergency response meeting as the strike entered its sixth day.
As planned, the airline yesterday maintained about 40 percent of its transport capacity, with 103 of 179 flights canceled, affecting about 19,000 travelers, Wang said.
Photo: Tony Yao, Taipei Times
The carrier on Monday announced which flights would be canceled on Saturday and Sunday, but its transport capacity on both days is to increase to 52 percent and 55 percent respectively, he said.
“Many flight attendants who were flying overseas have returned and are to work again,” Wang said. “However, to be safe, the airline on Wednesday is to announce which flights are to be canceled from Monday to Friday next week.”
Despite the expected increase in transport capacity, Wang said the ministry hopes that the strike will end before Sunday.
“Travelers have been inconvenienced because of the strike, which has greatly affected the entire tourism industry,” Wang said. “We hope that both workers and management will quickly resume negotiations over some of the key issues.”
“Whether a worker goes on strike is their right. It is also the right of each flight attendant to give their identification documents to the union and to take them back. If the union respects the rights of its members, it should facilitate such procedures,” he said, referring to a dispute between the airline and the Taoyuan Flight Attendants’ Union regarding the return of flight attendants’ passports, Mainland Travel Permits for Taiwan Residents and employee identification cards — the three documents they had to hand over to the union to participate in the strike.
Separately, the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) said that travelers heading to Japan between 6pm today and 12am on Monday next week would be subject to stricter airport security measures, as that country is hosting a G20 summit on Friday and Saturday.
Taiwan would be complying with a request from Japan for enhanced airport inspection of passengers, carry-on luggage and checked baggage, it said.
Flights to Japan are available from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, as well as airports in Taipei, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung, the agency said, adding that travelers are advised to arrive at airports early.
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