Starlux Airlines chairman Chang Kuo-wei (張國煒) could be fined for allowing an Internet celebrity to enter the cockpit during a flight to Los Angeles on April 26, the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) said yesterday.
The aviation authority said that it launched an investigation after it received a report that YouTuber Sam Chui (崔佳星) had posted a picture on Instagram of himself with Chang in the cockpit.
Chang, who is also a pilot, was serving as the captain of that flight.
Photo: CNA
CAA Flight Standards Division Director Wu Chia-jen (吳家珍) said that a flight is considered to be in operation as soon as cabin crew members are on board.
The company was also criticized for leaving more than 300 Taiwanese passengers stranded at Tokyo Narita International Airport on Saturday night after two of its returning flights to Taipei were delayed by crosswinds.
On Sunday, Chang told reporters that he did not sleep the night before as he caught a red-eye flight to Tokyo to handle the situation.
He later piloted one of the airlines’ A350 aircraft back to Taipei, prompting the agency to launch another investigation, as it suspected that Chang might have operated the aircraft when fatigued or worked overtime.
The aviation authority later combined the two investigations into one, as Chang was involved in both cases.
The company has been asked to provide information about the cases, the agency said, adding that CAA officials would interview Chang for further details.
“We have yet to complete the investigation, but we have ascertained Sam Chui had indeed entered the cockpit” during the flight to Los Angeles, CAA Director-General Lin Kuo-hsien (林國顯) told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee.
The Aircraft Flight Operation Regulations (根據航空器飛航作業管理規則) stipulate that non-cabin crew must obtain permission from the agency before entering the cockpit, but Starlux did not request such permission in advance, Lin said.
“We are investigating whether Chui entered the cockpit during the flight to Los Angeles. If so, Chang and the airline would be fined,” he said.
Chang could face a fine of NT$60,000 if he is found to have contravened the regulations, while the airline could be given a warning or a fine of NT$600,000, he said.
If Chang and the airline are fined, it would be the first penalty that Starlux received since it was founded in 2018.
It would also be the first time in Taiwan’s aviation history that a pilot and an airline are punished for allowing non-cabin crew to enter a cockpit.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
RSS