The Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) yesterday warned the public to avoid taking flights that pass through the airspace of Iraq and Syria or traveling to these countries due to intense warfare in the region. The statement was issued after the US and its allies launched airstrikes against the fighters of the Islamic State group in Syria on Monday night.
The administration said the US government has already banned US airlines from flying in Iraqi and Syrian airspace, adding that it has also asked Taiwanese airlines to bypass the airspace over the conflict zones.
Neither China Airlines nor EVA Air — the nation’s two largest carriers — fly over Syria or Iraq.
Before purchasing tickets, travelers are advised to inquire from airlines or travel agencies about the flight routes to their travel destinations.
The concern for flights over war zones escalated after Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was allegedly shot down on July 17 in Ukrainian airspace, killing everybody on board.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also changed a travel alert for Australia to yellow on Monday, which means that travelers heading to the country should take care of their safety and reconsider making the trip.
The travel alert adjustment came after the Australian government announced on Sept. 12 that it raised its national terrorism public alert from “medium” to “high,” meaning that a terrorist attack is likely.
“The terrorism alert was raised due to an increasing number of Australians involving themselves in terrorist organizations, which could threaten the nation’s security. The motion to raise the terrorism alert was meant to ask the public to be on the alert and to report any suspicious act,” the ministry said in the statement.
Phoenix Tours assistant general manager Huang Hsieh-tsai (黃賢在) said the travel alert has affected vacationers’ interest in visiting Australia.
“We have received isolated calls from people inquiring about what they have seen on the ministry’s Web site, because they do not know if the alert applies to all of Australia or specific regions only,” he said.
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
President William Lai (賴清德) has appointed former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) to attend the late Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican City on Saturday on his behalf, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today. The Holy See announced Francis’ funeral would take place on Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square. The ministry expressed condolences over Francis’ passing and said that Chen would represent Taiwan at the funeral and offer condolences in person. Taiwan and the Vatican have a long-standing and close diplomatic relationship, the ministry said. Both sides agreed to have Chen represent Taiwan at the funeral, given his Catholic identity and
Lawmakers from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday established a friendship group with their counterparts in Ukraine to promote parliamentary exchanges between the two countries. A ceremony in Taipei for the Taiwan-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Association, initiated by DPP Legislator Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷), was attended by lawmakers and officials, including Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) and European Economic and Trade Office in Taiwan Director Lutz Gullner. The increasingly dire situation in Ukraine is a global concern, and Taiwan cannot turn its back when the latter is in need of help, as the two countries share many common values and interests,
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
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