The Ministry of Transportation and Communications would strictly review Far Eastern Air Transport’s (FAT) explanation for its unexpected partial suspension of flights on Thursday, Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday, adding that a statement issued by the airline had left some questions unanswered.
“We received the airline’s statement after office hours on Friday. It did not give a clear explanation as to why the company suspended flight operations without prior notice, nor did it help resolve the problem,” Lin said in response to media queries on the sidelines of the groundbreaking ceremony for a new rest area along the National Sun Yat-sen Freeway (Freeway No. 1) in Taoyuan’s Yangmei District (楊梅).
The airline has not only financial problems, but also flight safety issues, Lin said.
Photo: Lee Jung-ping, Taipei Times
The ministry would follow the Civil Aviation Act (民用航空法) in fining the airline and ordering it to repair the damage it caused, he said.
As to whether the carrier would be allowed to resume operations and whether the ministry would heed the Civil Aeronautics Administration’s (CAA) recommendation that it revoke FAT’s air operator certificate, Lin said it would handle the matter in accordance with the law.
As the airline has suspended its operations, the ministry would execute an emergency response plan to ensure that travelers face no problems before and after the Lunar New Year holiday, which begins on Jan. 24, he said.
“We thank other airlines for being willing to offer more flights and use larger aircraft to carry travelers. We also hope that FAT’s management will take action to enforce aviation safety measures and protect consumers. It is irresponsible for the airline to cancel flights without warning the public in advance. We will follow the procedures in scrutinizing the airline’s plan to resume operations,” he added.
The CAA on Friday confirmed that it had recommended that the airline be fined NT$3 million (US$98,954) for contravening the act, adding that it has sent its suggestion to the ministry for approval.
Based on administrative procedures, the airline should be given an opportunity to speak.
CAA officials are to convene today to review FAT’s explanation.
FAT chairman Chang Kang-wei (張綱維) held a news conference on Friday, saying that the airline had to halt its operations after it failed to secure funds in time.
Chang denied that the company had difficulty paying its employees and that it would cease operations soon.
He is in talks with more than three groups of potential investors, he said, adding that NT$1 billion would arrive in two weeks.
Regarding a notice that the company sent on Thursday morning saying that it would cease operations and start giving severance pay to its employees, Chang said some employees had misjudged the situation and sent the notice by mistake.
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