CAA tight-lipped over Korean Air rumor

Civil Aeronautics Administration Director Chang Kuo-cheng (張國政) was tight-lipped yesterday about reported changes in charter flights between Taipei and Seoul, saying he has not seen any official documents regarding the issue and that a final decision has yet to be made by the government.

Chang made the remarks in response to a South Korean media report that Taiwan has denied Korean Air an application to fly charter flights between Taipei and Seoul during this year's soccer World Cup after Seoul demanded that Taiwanese First Lady Wu Shu-chen (吳淑珍) postpone a vacation to South Korea and refused to provide her with diplomatic protocol.

Chang dismissed as "sheer media speculation" claims that the government's decision regarding Korean Air charter flights is linked to Wu's Korean trip.

Taipei and South Korea agreed last month to allow the Taiwan-based Far East Air Transport Corp (FAT, 遠東航空) to run two weekly charter flights from May 21 to carry Taiwanese football fans to Seoul during the World Cup, which will be co-hosted by South Korea and Japan from May 31 through the end of July.

FAT is the only aviation company approved by both Taiwan and South Korean authorities to supply charter flight services since 1992, when direct air links between the two countries were terminated after Seoul switched its diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing.

The Taiwan tourism sector is concerned that other Taiwan-based carriers such as Trans Asia Airways (復興航空) and Mandarin Airlines (華信航空) are likely to be denied permits to conduct Taipei-Seoul charter flights, with one source also saying that FAT's permit may be canceled in June.