Part of the Aviation Police Bureau’s budget for next year has been frozen in response to chaos last month at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport as Taiwan’s baseball team returned after winning the Premier12 championship in Japan.
The legislature’s Transportation Committee yesterday froze NT$10 million (US$306,110) of the bureau’s NT$3.96 billion budget, which is from the Civil Aviation Administration’s (CAA) Civil Aviation Operation Fund.
The bureau’s primary duty is to maintain safety and order at airports, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-tse (李昆澤) said.
Photo: CNA
However, when the team returned on Nov. 25 after winning the Premier12 final against Japan, staff from Taiwan Duty Free at the airport forced their way in to get photographs with the vice president and even pushed away some players, Lee said.
Lee, who proposed the funds be frozen, said that the bureau would not have access to the money until it files a report on how to address similar situations. The committee seconded Lee’s proposal.
Bureau Commissioner Chiu Wen-liang (邱文亮) said there was a last-minute change of route that the team and officials took through the airport, and the bureau had to quickly adapt.
The route switch might have led to holes in the airport’s management, Chiu said.
Addressing other matters, lawmakers asked the CAA to step up installation of drone detection systems at airports nationwide and enhance airports’ digital resilience against hackers.
So far, only Taoyuan airport, Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) and Kaohsiung International Airport have such systems, DPP Legislator Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲) said.
Two Chinese drones were detected near Nangan Airport in Lienchiang County in July, delaying two flights, Lin said, adding that national security risks might emerge, given the county’s proximity to China.
In September, hackers abroad launched a cyberattack against Web sites of government agencies, affecting Songshan airport, Lin said, adding that even though no flights were delayed, the incident showed that the airport was susceptible to cyberattacks.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lu Ming-che (魯明哲) said runways at Taoyuan airport were shut down seven times from 2019 to last year because of drones.
Although the first phase of a drone detection system developed by the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology was installed in June last year, Taoyuan airport needs to quickly implement the second phase and increase its capability to catch people who operate drones illegally in the area, he said.
PROCEDURE: Although there is already a cross-strait agreement in place for the extradition of criminals, ample notice is meant to be given to the other side first Ten Taiwanese who were involved in fraud-related crimes in China were extradited back to Taiwan via Kinmen County on Wednesday, four of whom are convicted fraudsters in Taiwan. The 10 people arrived via a ferry operating between Xiamen and Kinmen, also known as the “small three links.” The Kinmen County Prosecutors’ Office yesterday said that four of the 10 extradited people were convicted in Taiwan for committing fraud and contravening the Money Laundering Control Act (洗錢防制法), and were on the wanted list. They were immediately arrested upon arrival and sent to Kinmen Prison to serve their sentences following brief questioning, the office said.
Taipei and Kaohsiung have extended an open invitation to Japanese pop star Ayumi Hamasaki after Chinese authorities abruptly canceled her scheduled concert in Shanghai. Hamasaki, 47, had been slated to perform on Saturday before organizers pulled the show at the last minute, citing “force majeure,” a move widely viewed as retaliation for Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent remark that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could draw a military response from Tokyo. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) yesterday said the city “very much welcomes” Hamasaki’s return and would continue to “surprise” her. Hamasaki, who has a large global fan base, including
‘REGRETTABLE’: Travelers reported that Seoul’s online arrival card system lists Taiwan as ‘China (Taiwan),’ the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday urged South Korea to correct the way Taiwan is listed in its newly launched e-Arrival card system, saying the current designation downgrades the nation’s status. South Korea rolled out the online system on Feb. 24 to gradually replace paper arrival cards, which it plans to phase out by next year. Travelers must complete the electronic form up to 72 hours before entering the country. The ministry said it has received multiple complaints from Taiwanese travelers saying that the system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in dropdown menus for both “place of departure” and “next
VIGILANT: Enterovirus activity remains in the epidemic phase, with the CDC urging caregivers of infected children to be on the lookout for signs of severe illness Influenza activity is rising in neighboring countries, and, with temperatures forecast to drop this week, flu cases are expected to increase in the next two weeks, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. Hospitals reported 87,162 visits for flu-like illnesses between Nov. 23 and Saturday, which remained about the same level as the previous week, but nine deaths and 24 cases with serious flu complications were also confirmed last week, CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Guo Hung-wei (郭宏偉) said. Flu activity reached a peak in late September before declining for eight consecutive weeks, CDC Deputy Director-General and spokesman Lin Min-cheng (林明誠)
RSS