TRAVEL
Tigerair to add route
Tigerair Taiwan is to begin offering two round-trip flights to Oita, Japan, on April 2. That would be the carrier’s 21st route in Japan and the fourth for the island of Kyushu, the carrier said. The airline also has flights for Fukuoka, Saga and Miyazaki. Tigerair Taiwan, a subsidiary of China Airlines, said the new route is expected to broaden the airline’s network in Kyushu and give Taiwanese travelers more flexibility when they plan trips to the island. It would fly from Taoyuan to Oita every Wednesday and Saturday at noon, while flights from Oita would leave on the same days and arrive in Taoyuan at 5:55pm. An Airbus 320 would be used to fly the new route. Tigerair Taiwan said it hopes to take advantage of Oita’s natural beauty and Taiwanese’s continued interest traveling to Japan.
Photo courtesy of Tigerair Taiwan Ltd
DIPLOMACY
Aid agreement signed
Taiwan signed an agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) on Thursday in London to join an initiative to support Ukraine’s workforce development. Representative to the UK Vincent Yao (姚金祥) attended the signing ceremony to join the Human Capital Response Program for Ukraine and affirmed Taiwan’s commitment to helping reconstruction efforts. The program encourages businesses to invest in workplace inclusion, accessibility, childcare support, vocational education and improved work environments to aid Ukraine’s economic recovery. Yao said Taiwan is eager to share its expertise and provide humanitarian assistance. He also highlighted the nation’s long-standing cooperation with the EBRD in transportation logistics, refugee aid and cybersecurity resilience.
TOURISM
Hualien incentivizes travel
Hualien County yesterday launched a new incentive program to attract more foreign tourists, offering travel agencies up to NT$4,000 per person in tour groups to the county. The program is to run until Nov. 30, during which travel agencies that bring tour groups with at least 12 foreign visitors to Hualien can apply for cash rewards. The incentives are based on the length of stay — NT$2,000 per person for two nights, NT$3,000 per person for three nights and NT$4,000 per person for four nights. To qualify, the tour must also include at least one “eco-friendly activity,” such as staying at a certified green hotel, dining at an eco-friendly restaurant or visiting an environmental education site such as Liyu Lake (鯉魚潭) or the Chihnan Nature Center. For more information, visit https://hltrip.tw/agency/rule.php.
SOCIETY
Car crashes in Hsinchu
A sport utility vehicle driver in Hsinchu City yesterday lost control of his vehicle, leaving one person dead and six injured. The driver, a man surnamed Lin (林), abruptly swerved to avoid colliding with another vehicle, Hsinchu City Police Bureau Traffic Police Brigade chief Hsu Wei-liang (許惟亮) said. Lin lost control and crashed into the car in front of him and another car waiting to turn left. Lin’s vehicle then flipped over and ran into two other cars and a motorcycle, Hsu said. The woman driving the motorcycle had an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. Lin and his passengers were treated for multiple abrasions. A breath alcohol test showed there was no alcohol in Lin’s blood, but the case would be handed over to prosecutors for an investigation into possible involuntary manslaughter charges, Hsu said.
Eight Chinese naval vessels and 24 military aircraft were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6am yesterday and 6am today, the Ministry of National Defense said this morning. The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones, the ministry said. The armed forces responded with mission aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation, it added. Eight naval vessels, one official ship and 36 aircraft sorties were spotted in total, the ministry said.
INCREASED CAPACITY: The flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays would leave Singapore in the morning and Taipei in the afternoon Singapore Airlines is adding four supplementary flights to Taipei per week until May to meet increased tourist and business travel demand, the carrier said on Friday. The addition would raise the number of weekly flights it operates to Taipei to 18, Singapore Airlines Taiwan general manager Timothy Ouyang (歐陽漢源) said. The airline has recorded a steady rise in tourist and business travel to and from Taipei, and aims to provide more flexible travel arrangements for passengers, said Ouyang, who assumed the post in July last year. From now until Saturday next week, four additional flights would depart from Singapore on Monday, Wednesday, Friday
The Ministry of National Defense yesterday reported the return of large-scale Chinese air force activities after their unexplained absence for more than two weeks, which had prompted speculation regarding Beijing’s motives. China usually sends fighter jets, drones and other military aircraft around the nation on a daily basis. Interruptions to such routine are generally caused by bad weather. The Ministry of National Defense said it had detected 26 Chinese military aircraft in the Taiwan Strait over the previous 24 hours. It last reported that many aircraft on Feb. 25, when it spotted 30 aircraft, saying Beijing was carrying out another “joint combat
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) today said that if South Korea does not reply appropriately to its request to correct Taiwan’s name on its e-Arrival card system before March 31, it would take corresponding measures to alter how South Korea is labeled on the online Taiwan Arrival Card system. South Korea’s e-Arrival card system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in the “point of departure” and “next destination” fields. The ministry said that it changed the nationality for South Koreans on Taiwan’s Alien Resident Certificates from “Korea” to “South Korea” on March 1, in a gesture of goodwill and based on the
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