Vaclav Havel Airport in Prague on Friday said all national flags would be removed from its eGate displays as part of a systemwide update, adding that Taiwanese travelers remain eligible to use the system.
The airport’s response came after Taiwanese travelers visiting Prague last month noticed that the Republic of China’s (ROC) flag had been removed from eGate displays, although the country code “TW” remained.
Airport spokesperson Denisa Hejtmankova said the update only changes how information is displayed on eGate screens and does not affect which passengers can use the system.
Photo courtesy of a Taiwanese traveler via CNA
Travelers holding ROC passports can continue using the airport’s eGate system as before, she said.
The update is part of an overhaul of the country’s eGate display system, with the display list set to be expanded next week to include more eligible countries, she added.
The new system would adopt a text-only format, showing country codes instead of flags, Hejtmankova said.
She did not explain the reason for the initial removal of the ROC flag.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had been informed of the issue by its representative office in the Czech Republic and confirmed that Taiwanese travelers’ eligibility to use the airport’s eGate system remains unchanged.
Vaclav Havel Airport on May 15 opened its eGate system travelers from Taiwan, the UK, Japan and South Korea.
The measure was introduced to help ease congestion at the airport following the rollout of the EU’s Entry/Exit System on April 10, the ministry said, adding that it also reflected Taiwanese travelers’ long record of complying with Czech immigration rules.
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