The application filed by HeliExpress for an air route connecting Hong Kong and Taichung is still being processed, and no final decision has been made, the Mainland Council Affairs (MAC) said yesterday.
Local Chinese-language media yesterday reported that the council had rejected the application filed by the Hong Kong-based company, which had intended to operate roundtrip flights between Hong Kong and Taichung beginning last Sunday.
The reports incorrectly said both the council and the Ministry of National Defense had already rejected the application.
Taichung's Chingchuankang (CCK, 清泉崗) airbase is used for both civil and military use. Since March of last year, domestic flights at Taichung Airport have been relocated to CCK.
The report said that MAC officials had turned down HeliExpress' application because of the military use of CCK and the lack of appropriate runways and facilities for international passenger flights.
However, the council denied the report yesterday.
Officials said that the application remained in the final stages of a review process, during which related governmental agencies would offer their opinions.
Officials said that many improvement tasks have been carried out at CCK Airport in order to meet the criteria for a normal international airport.
"All applications have been processed smoothly. After all, turning CCK Airport into Taiwan's third international airport is a fixed national policy," an official told the Taipei Times.
The source told the Taipei Times that the council had never displayed any reluctance to approve applications for international flights connecting to CCK Airport.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
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