The Ministry of Transportation and Communications is evaluating the Civil Aeronautics Administration’s (CAA) suggestion that it revoke Far Eastern Air Transportation’s (FAT) air operator certificate, after the airline on Dec. 13 abruptly announced that it would cease operations, Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday.
“We have received a recommendation from the CAA, which says that FAT’s air operator certificate should be revoked per the Civil Aviation Act (民用航空法). The ministry’s Department of Aviation and Navigation, and Legal Department have asked the civil aviation authority to offer a more complete report as grounds for certificate revocation,” Lin said.
While the airline has said that it has found investors to fund its operations and is seeking to resume flight services, the CAA has yet to allow the airline to do so.
Photo: Hsiao Yu-hsin, Taipei Times
FAT on Monday announced that it would have to delay paying employees’ salaries after Taiwan Cooperative Bank seized its operational funds, adding that a Hong Kong firm is interested in investing in the airline.
However, financial problems are only part of the airline’s troubles, Lin said.
FAT has contravened the act by ceasing operations without any advance notice, which could cost the airline its air operator certificate, he said.
Although the airline has spoken many times about potential investors, Lin said this should be treated as a separate matter.
“FAT should honestly face its financial situation, as it has trouble even paying its employees. Its top priority should be to take care of its employees,” Lin said.
The ministry is not experiencing any pressure to settle the matter quickly, he added.
Aviation safety is the ministry’s guiding principle in deciding whether the airline should be permitted to resume flight services, he said.
“The airline has claimed that [some of] its employees had misjudged the situation and erroneously made the announcement to cease operations. Its response confirmed the CAA’s worst fears. Before we can revoke [FAT’s] license, we not only have to consider that it has contravened the law, but also need to ensure that we strictly follow legal procedures in revoking its certificate, in case it challenges us in court,” he said.
Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) said that even if the ministry does not revoke FAT’s license, the airline would have to complete several procedures before it can resume flight services.
Revoking FAT’s air operator certificate is a serious matter, and the ministry wants to ensure that it is backed by solid legal arguments if it decides to do so, Wang said, adding that the CAA has been asked to ascertain the rules of the act that the airline might have contravened.
Although the airline offered flights to Japan, South Korea and China, a majority of its flights were domestic, particularly to the outlying Kinmen and Penghu counties, Wang said, adding that the airline controls about one-third of the market share.
The ministry has plans to transport people to the outlying islands for Saturday’s elections and for the Lunar New Year holiday in case it revokes FAT’s certificate, Wang said.
The two other domestic carriers — Uni Air and Mandarin Airlines — can offer additional flights or use larger aircraft to transport the additional passengers, he said.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS