The Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) would soon discuss with local government officials the possibility of raising the number of flights to the nation’s outlying islands after a nationwide COVID-19 alert is downgraded to level 2 today, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday.
More than 80 percent of domestic flights have been canceled since the COVID-19 alert was raised to level 3 on May 19.
Many people have complained about the inconvenience brought by the reduced domestic flights, particularly those who need to frequently travel between the outlying islands and Taiwan proper for businesses and medical services. However, the ministry did not announce any changes after the Central Epidemic Command Center said at its daily news conference on Friday that the COVID-19 alert was to be lowered to level 2.
Photo: Chen Hsin-yu, Taipei Times
“It has come to our attention that flights to the outlying islands do not meet the demand. The CAA will discuss with local government officials the possibility of raising the number of flights next month,” Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications Chi Wen-chung (祁文中) said.
The ministry must continue to exercise extreme caution, even though the COVID-19 alert has been downgraded to level 2, he said.
“The last thing that officials in the outlying islands want is for there to be a dramatic influx of tourists from Taiwan proper. As such, we respect their opinions in this matter,” Chi said.
Airlines currently schedule eight to nine flights from Taiwan proper to Penghu County per day, departing from Taipei, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung.
Five to seven flights are dispatched daily to Kinmen, departing from Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung.
One to two flights depart daily for Nangan Airport in Lienchiang County, while three per week fly to the county’s Beigan Airport.
Japan has deployed long-range missiles in a southwestern region near China, the Japanese defense minister said yesterday, at a time when ties with Beijing are at their lowest in recent years. The missiles were installed in Kumamoto in the southern region of Kyushu, as Japan is attempting to shore up its military capacity as China steps up naval activity in the East China Sea. “Standoff defense capabilities enable us to counter the threat of enemy forces attempting to invade our country ... while ensuring the safety of our personnel,” Japanese Minister of Defense Shinjiro Koizumi said. “This is an extremely important initiative for
MORE POPULAR: Taiwan Pass sales increased by 59 percent during the first quarter compared with the same period last year, the Tourism Administration said The Tourism Administration yesterday said that it has streamlined the Taiwan Pass, with two versions available for purchase beginning today. The tourism agency has made the pass available to international tourists since 2024, allowing them to access the high-speed rail, Taiwan Railway Corp services, four MRT systems and four Taiwan Tourist Shuttles. Previously, five types of Taiwan Pass were available, but some tourists have said that the offerings were too complicated. The agency said only two types of Taiwan Pass would be available, starting from a three-day pass with the high-speed rail and a three-day pass with Taiwan Railway Corp. The former costs NT$2,800
POLLS CONCERNS: There are concerns within the KMT that a Cheng Li-wun-Xi Jinping meeting could trigger a voter backlash in elections in November Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) accepted an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to visit next month, her party and Chinese state media reported yesterday. Cheng, who took up her role in November last year, “gladly accepted” the invitation to lead a delegation to China, the KMT said in a statement, confirming a Xinhua news agency report. Cheng “looks forward to joint efforts by both parties to advance the peaceful development of cross-strait relations, promote cross-strait exchanges and cooperation, and work for peace in the Taiwan Strait and greater well-being for people on both sides,” the statement said. Chinese
SIGNIFICANT TO THE WORLD: The delegation’s visit aims to send a clear message that bipartisan support for Taiwan is consistent, US Senator Jeanne Shaheen said The US Senate’s bipartisan support for Taiwan remains strong and Taiwan-US ties would continue for decades to come, a US Senate delegation said in Taipei yesterday, while calling on the legislature to swiftly pass a special defense budget bill. A US delegation led by Democratic US Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Republican US Senator John Curtis — both members of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations — arrived in Taiwan yesterday for a two-day visit. The other senators of the delegation included Senate Taiwan Caucus cochair Thom Tillis and Senate Committee on Armed Services senior member Jacky Rosen. Shaheen told a news
RSS