Two local ground handling service providers have been fined for incidents in which human negligence or mechanical failure led to damage of aircraft at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said on Friday.
Taoyuan International Airport Services Co was fined NT$300,000 for poor management that damaged three aircraft, and Evergreen Airline Services Co was fined NT$60,000 for poor management of one aircraft, Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) said.
Wang’s remarks came after the ministry conducted an investigation into aircraft damage caused by poor ground handling services, the frequency of which has recently increased at the airport’s main gateway.
In October alone, there were three incidents, Wang said, adding that the incidents have raised serious safety concerns and affected the image of the airport.
For example, on Oct. 6, a Japan Airlines flight was delayed for nearly eight hours after the bottom of the aircraft’s left engine covering scraped against a passenger gateway as the ground crew from Taoyuan International Airport Services towed the empty aircraft toward gate D2.
The investigation by the ministry also found that out of eight cases so far this year, three were caused by fuel supplier CPC Co, Taiwan during refueling, and another caused by FedEx Co ground staff.
As CPC Co, Taiwan is not a ground service company subject to the constraints of the Civil Aviation Act (民用航空法), the law on which the penalties were based, the case will be transferred to the Ministry of Economics Affairs and reviewed under the Petroleum Administration Act (石油管理法), Wang said.
The incident involving FedEx Co was minor, so there was no punishment, the ministry said.
To reduce the safety risks caused by such incidents, Wang said the ministry is looking to introduce a surveillance system that monitors flight conditions and ground operations by the end of this year.
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