The last passenger air service between Taipei and Kaohsiung will officially end today, as a result of continuously losing customers to the high-speed rail system.
Mandarin Airlines was the only domestic carrier left that provided flight services between Taipei and Kaohsiung, which were available on Fridays, Sundays and Mondays. Two other domestic carriers — Uni Air and TransAsia Airways — pulled out of the service market in 2008.
Mandarin Airlines said it decided to terminate the flight service because of an increase in operational losses, particularly after the high-speed rail began operations in 2007. The average occupancy rate of the service dropped to less than 50 percent and sometimes even to 30 percent.
While the service was only available on three nights per week, one-way tickets cost NT$1,750 (US$58). The high-speed rail charges NT$1,490 for a one-way ticket and provides hundreds of services during the week.
The airline applied to end the Taipei-Kaohsiung service several times, but its application had been repeatedly rejected by the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA). The company only secured the approval after it said it would increase the number of flights between Taipei and Taitung from 14 to 17 per week.
The Taipei-Kaohsiung service used to be one of the most popular domestic routes in the nation, with about 3,000 flights available per year. Some carriers even offered a set of 10 prepaid tickets for frequent travelers, with each ticket costing about NT$800 on average. It was an attractive option for those who did not want to be stuck in traffic on the freeway.
Domestic air carriers have gradually stopped operating flights on the west coast after the high-speed rail started operating.
They first canceled flights between Taipei and Taichung, and between Taipei and Chiayi, in 2007. The flights between Taipei and Tainan and those between Taipei and Pintung were canceled in 2008 and last year.
The Taipei-Hengchun service is the only flight service available on the west coast. Its operator, Uni Air, has been given permission by the CAA to reduce the flights from three to two per week.
The cancelation of the Taipei-Kaohsiung service has drawn mixed reactions from travelers. Seats on the last two Taipei-Kaohsiung flights — one departing from Taipei and the other departing from Kaohsiung — were sold out, as the flights had attracted many aviation fans who wanted to witness the end of an era.
Grace Tsao (曹純菱), a resident of Greater Kaohsiung, said she was not particularly sad to hear that the flight service was no longer available.
“I was not impressed by the service at all,” she said. “It [the flight] costs more than a high-speed rail ticket and you may not even get a plane ticket, even if you arrive at the airport early. Since not many people take the flights anymore, it is pointless to ask the flight carrier to continue offering it [the service].”
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
The Taiwan Experience Education Program (TEEP) has funded short-term internships in Taiwan for more than 4,500 young people from more than 40 countries since 2015, with the goal of attracting and retaining international talent, the Ministry of Education said yesterday. Fifty-five colleges launched 514 projects this year, including in fields such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, medicine and biotechnology, green energy, and sustainability, it said. The program provides research and practical internships in Taiwan for two to six months, and offers cultural exchange and networking opportunities, the ministry said. For example, National Formosa University’s Embedded System and Autopilot Laboratory developed two solar-powered drones in
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
Taipei resident Mu Chu-hua caught some glimpses of China’s mighty military parade on YouTube on Wednesday. As she watched hypersonic missiles roll down Beijing’s Changan Avenue and troops march in lockstep, she did not feel like they posed a threat to Taiwan. Mu, a 69-year-old retiree, said she saw the parade as simply a way for Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to “say thank you to the troops.” “I thought it was quite normal,” she said. “It was very cool.” China’s military parade commemorating the end of World War II was being watched internationally for insights into Beijing’s military advances and its show
RSS