A KMT lawmaker criticized the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) yesterday for allowing Mandarin Airlines, a China Airlines (CAL,
Legislator Chi Kuo-tung (
"Is this arrangement fair?" Chi asked, referring to China Airlines' poor flight safety record. "Nobody in the government has assumed responsibility for the latest CAL crash which claimed 225 lives, and now the CAA has even allowed the carrier's subsidiary to fly the `golden route.' How can the CAA justify its decision?"
A China Airlines Boeing 747-200 jetliner crashed into the Taiwan Strait near Penghu en route to Hong Kong May 25, killing all 225 passengers and crew aboard. It was the fourth major fatal mishap involving one of the airline's planes in eight years.
"For an air carrier with such a poor safety record, CAL has not been punished by the CAA and has instead been rewarded by having its offshoot receive the hotly-contested rights to the Taiwan-Hong Kong route," Chi lamented, adding that CAA Director-General Chang Kuo-cheng (
Several representatives of the bereaved victims' families of the May 25 CAL crash were present at the news conference and backed Chi's call for Chang's resignation, over what they said was an unfair "Taiwan-Hong Kong aviation rights allocation."
Taiwan and Hong Kong signed a new five-year aviation agreement in Taipei on June 29 under which Mandarin Airlines and Hong Kong's Air Hong Kong, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cathay Pacific Airways, will join Taiwan-Hong Kong flight services for the first time.
The new accord allows EVA Airways to add 33 passenger flights per week, while Mandarin Airlines will obtain 16 new passenger flights. These 16 flights had been slated for China Airlines before the May 25 crash. According to international aviation regulations, carriers involved in fatal flight accidents cannot obtain new flights within a year. As a result, China Airlines will continue to operate 100 passenger flights, while the number of EVA's weekly flights will increase from the current 21 to 54.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
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