Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Ling-san (
China Airlines filed an overflight application with Beijing's Civil Aviation Administration of China last Friday after the Ministry of Transportation and Communications gave the two airlines the green light to do so out of safety considerations.
CAL's Europe-bound flights usually fly via the Middle East. After the flights are re-routed via China to bypass areas near the war zones, they will have to pass through Kazakhstan, Russia and several European countries not on the usual routes.
A CAL spokesman said the airline's applications for permission to fly over these countries are still being processed.
"So it remains uncertain when our Europe-bound flights will begin to fly over China," he said.
EVA Airways said it has also applied for permission to fly via China airspace during the war in Iraq.
"We expect to receive approval from the mainland authorities by Friday," a spokesman for the airline said.
Both CAL and EVA have re-routed some of their Europe-bound passenger and cargo flights to bypass areas neighboring the war zones.
New routes via China will enable the two carriers to cut their flight times by more than one hour, airline sources said.
Meanwhile, a Chinese government spokesman said yesterday foreign-owned airlines won't be allowed to fly non-stop between China and Taiwan.
Only Chinese and Taiwanese carriers will operate non-stop flights between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Zhang Mingqing (
Airlines that have more than 49 percent foreign ownership won't be permitted to apply for the route, he said, adding that the rule also applies to shipping companies.
"China won't allow foreign airlines or shippers to take part in direct links," Zhang told reporters in Beijing.
The rule may exclude Cathay Pacific Airway, Hong Kong's largest airline, from applying to fly the route. The airline is 25.8 percent owned by CITIC Pacific, a subsidiary of the investment arm of China's government, with Swire Pacific and foreign fund managers controlling most of the company's shares.
Hong Kong Dragon Airlines counts China National Aviation Co and CITIC Pacific as its largest shareholders. The two companies, majority-owned by the Chinese government, own a combined 73 percent share, according to Dragonair's Web site.
Cathay Pacific and Dragonair both fly between Taiwan and Hong Kong. Dragonair also flies to China.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs has fined Taobao NT$1.2 million (US$36,912) for advertisements that exceed its approved business scope, requiring the Chinese e-commerce platform to make corrections in the first half of this year or its license may be revoked. Lawmakers have called for stricter enforcement of Chinese e-commerce platforms and measures to prevent China from laundering its goods through Taiwan in response to US President Donald Trump’s heavy tariffs on China. The Legislative Yuan’s Finance Committee met today to discuss policies to prevent China from dumping goods in Taiwan, inviting government agencies to report. Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Kuo Kuo-wen (郭國文) said
The Ministry of Economic Affairs has fined Taobao NT$1.2 million (US$36,900) for advertisements that exceeded its approved business scope and ordered the Chinese e-commerce platform to make corrections in the first half of this year or its license would be revoked. Lawmakers have called for stricter supervision of Chinese e-commerce platforms and more stringent measures to prevent China from laundering its goods through Taiwan as US President Donald Trump’s administration cracks down on origin laundering. The legislature’s Finance Committee yesterday met to discuss policies to prevent China from dumping goods in Taiwan, inviting government agencies to report on the matter. Democratic Progressive Party
Taiwan and its Pacific ally Tuvalu on Tuesday signed two accords aimed at facilitating bilateral cooperation on labor affairs, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). The governments inked two agreements in Taipei, witnessed by Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) and visiting Deputy Tuvaluan Prime Minister Panapasi Nelesone, MOFA said in a news release. According to MOFA, the agreements will facilitate cooperation on labor issues and allow the two sides to mutually recognize seafarers’ certificates and related training. Taiwan would also continue to collaborate with Tuvalu across various fields to promote economic prosperity as well as the well-being of their
Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), who led efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), was released on bail of NT$80,000 today amid outcry over his decision to wear a Nazi armband to questioning the night before. Sung arrived at the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office for questioning in a recall petition forgery case last night wearing a red armband bearing a swastika, carrying a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf and giving a Nazi salute. Sung left the building at 1:15am without the armband and covering the book with his coat. Lee said today that this is a serious
RSS