Fuel prices for international flights have increased by 122 percent since the war in the Middle East began, leading to about 1.7 percent of flights being canceled next month, data from CPC Corp, Taiwan and the Civil Aviation Administration showed today.
The Legislative Yuan’s Transportation Committee today invited Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) to present on the government’s response to the war in the Middle East and rising oil prices.
As of April 1, oil prices for international flights had reached US$1.2816 per liter, an increase of 122 percent compared with pre-war levels, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said, citing data from CPC Corp.
Photo: CNA
Oil prices for domestic flights had risen to NT$44.2 per liter, up 116 percent, significantly increasing airlines’ operating costs, the ministry said.
While fuel supply from CPC Corp and Formosa Petrochemical Corp remains normal, some airports in other countries — including Myanmar, Vietnam and the Philippines — have imposed refueling restrictions, resulting in a sharp increase in fuel costs for airlines, it said.
Airlines are adjusting operations by reducing and consolidating flights to save costs, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Wan Mei-ling (萬美玲) said.
An average of 7.3 flights per week had been canceled this month as of Monday, accounting for about 0.2 percent of total flights, Wan said, citing data from the Civil Aviation Administration.
Cancelations next month have currently risen to 52.6 flights per week, or 1.7 percent of total flights, and flight cancelations in July and August currently average at one flight per week, she said.
These cancelations would have a significant impact on international travel during the upcoming peak season, she said, asking if it could be guaranteed that flights would not be further reduced.
While the ministry cannot mandate airlines to maintain flights, it would monitor their challenges, provide assistance and maintain communication to help minimize reductions, Chen said.
Kenting National Park service technician Yang Jien-fon (楊政峰) won a silver award in World Grand Prix Photography Awards Spring Season for his photograph of two male rat snakes intertwined in combat. Yang’s colleagues at Kenting National Park said he is a master of nature photography who has been held back by his job in civil service. The awards accept entries in all four seasons across six categories: architectural and urban photography, black-and-white and fine art photography, commercial and fashion photography, documentary and people photography, nature and experimental photography, and mobile photography. Awards are ranked according to scores and divided into platinum, gold and
More than half of the bamboo vipers captured in Tainan in the past few years were found in the city’s Sinhua District (新化), while other districts had smaller catches or none at all. Every year, Tainan captures about 6,000 snakes which have made their way into people’s homes. Of the six major venomous snakes in Taiwan, the cobra, the many-banded krait, the brown-spotted pit viper and the bamboo viper are the most frequently captured. The high concentration of bamboo vipers captured in Sinhua District is puzzling. Tainan Agriculture Bureau Forestry and Nature Conservation Division head Chu Chien-ming (朱健明) earlier this week said that the
The first bluefin tuna of the season, brought to shore in Pingtung County and weighing 190kg, was yesterday auctioned for NT$10,600 (US$333.5) per kilogram, setting a record high for the local market. The auction was held at the fish market in Donggang Fishing Harbor, where the Siaoliouciou Island-registered fishing vessel Fu Yu Ching No. 2 delivered the “Pingtung First Tuna” it had caught for bidding. Bidding was intense, and the tuna was ultimately jointly purchased by a local restaurant and a local company for NT$10,600 per kilogram — NT$300 ,more than last year — for a total of NT$2.014 million. The 67-year-old skipper
BREACH OF CONTRACT: The bus operators would seek compensation and have demanded that the manufacturer replace the chips with ones that meet regulations Two bus operators found to be using buses with China-made chips are to demand that the original manufacturers replace the systems and provide compensation for breach of contract, the Veterans Affairs Council said yesterday. Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Michelle Lin (林楚茵) yesterday said that Da Nan Bus Co and Shin-Shin Bus Co Ltd have fielded a total of 82 buses that are using Chinese chips. The bus models were made by Tron-E, while the systems provider was CYE Electronics, Lin said. Lin alleged that the buses were using chips manufactured by Huawei subsidiary HiSilicon Co, which presents a national security risk if the
RSS