Taiwan and Germany on Thursday signed an air transport agreement to allow additional passenger and cargo flights between the two countries, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said in a news statement.
The agreement was signed by Representative to Germany Shieh Jhy-wey (謝志偉) and German Institute Taipei Director-General Thomas Prinz in Berlin and Taipei respectively, it said.
The signing ceremony was conducted virtually, the ministry said.
The agreement, which replaces a deal signed in 2001, increases the maximum number of passenger flights between Taiwan and Germany from seven to 11 per week, while cargo flights are increased from three to five with “fifth freedom” rights, it said.
Fifth freedom flight rights allow an airline to carry revenue traffic from its own country to a second country, and from that country onward to a third country.
The agreement also include articles regarding operating permits, aviation safety and security, fair competition, air fares and business opportunities, making it more comprehensive than its predecessor, the ministry said.
The expansion of flights is expected to boost the aviation sector’s recovery momentum between the two nations, it said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a separate statement that Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) witnessed the signings.
German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure State Secretary Steffen Bilger delivered a congratulatory message via a prerecorded video, the foreign ministry said.
The relationship between Taiwan and Germany continues to deepen, with deals on science and technology, energy transition, small and medium-sized enterprise innovation, driver’s licenses and transitional justice having been signed since 2016, the foreign ministry said.
The latest agreement will further facilitate the movement of people and the flow of goods between Taiwan and Germany, it said.
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