Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) Director-General Lee Lung-wen (李龍文) yesterday said the CAA would determine the status of cash-strapped Far Eastern Air Transport (FAT) before allowing the airline to start regular cross-strait flights.
“We have received their plan, but I have not had the chance to look at it,” Lee said, adding that the CAA might need a few days to review the materials.
Lee said the CAA would consider FAT as having a valid air operator’s certificate (AOC) until it decides on the airline’s plan to resume operations.
PHOTO: CHIEN JUNG-FONG, TAIPEI TIMES
“Either we approve or reject the company’s plan, or we might ask them to supply additional information on certain points that are unclear,” Lee said.
Lee said FAT would not be able to participate in the distribution of cross-strait regular flights under an uncertain status.
FAT, on the other hand, managed to submit their plan right before the CAA’s office was closed yesterday. FAT spokesperson Tsai Chia-ju (蔡佳儒) said yesterday that the CAA should give them “a fair chance.”
FAT’s certificate expired on Saturday.
The airline submitted a proposal to the CAA before its AOC expired, indicating that it could resume operations by leasing an aircraft from UNI Air (立榮航空).
Later, however, UNI Air and FAT failed to reach an agreement on how the plan would be carried out.
Because the plan was changed after it was submitted, the CAA decided on Thursday to defer its ruling until yesterday and said it would start reviewing FAT’s plan immediately upon receiving the proposal.
Lee also said at a press conference last week that an airline must have a valid certificate to operate regular cross-strait flights, adding that it must also have safe aircraft that can provide the service.
Currently, FAT has four aircraft.
However, the aircraft have all been grounded because the engines are now bank collateral.
FAT must reapply for safety certifications for the aircraft to determine if they are fit to fly.
Meanwhile, FAT still owes the CAA unpaid fees of approximately NT$170 million (US$5.2 million) as of last month.
Because of the unpaid fees, the CAA withdrew FAT’s right to operate 10 international flights.
Lee said that the CAA would set up a strict timeline that lists FAT’s commitments to meet its financial obligations, if it approves the company’s plan to resume operations.
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