China Airlines Co (華航), Taiwan's biggest carrier, faces more competition when it moves to Tokyo's Narita airport, as a new runway will give rivals EVA Airways Corp (長榮) and Japan Airlines Co more slots for Taipei flights.
EVA, Taiwan's No. 2 airline, will add 14 weekly flights to the two it now operates, while Asia's biggest carrier, Japan Airlines Co, will increase by two the number of weekly flights operated by a subsidiary. All Nippon Airways Co will start flying seven times a week to Taipei in April, through a subsidiary.
Narita's second runway opens April 18.
The decision to move Taiwanese carriers to Tokyo's main international airport from the domestic airport at Haneda means China Airlines and EVA will compete head on with global rivals. Haneda, which handles half of Japan's domestic traffic and is closer to Tokyo than Narita, had few slots to give to EVA when it started Tokyo flights in 2000. China Airlines and EVA have flown to Haneda for 27 years, since China objected to their use of Narita.
"Haneda airport has been China Airlines' great advantage in Taipei-Tokyo flights in the past 27 years, and now we have to compete with others on a more equal footing," China Airlines spokesman Paul Wang (王振畬) said.
China Airlines will now increase its weekly flights on the Taipei route to 22 from 21.
While travelers may miss the shorter 20-minute train ride into Tokyo from Haneda, rather than one hour from Narita, more flights to the capital and easier transfers to international flights may help compensate for the inconvenience.
"It may be more of a schlep [to reach central Tokyo] from Narita but the trade-off is added capacity," said Tim Ross, an analyst at UBS Warburg Asia Ltd. "EVA can finally offer proper access to Tokyo."
All Nippon, which is Asia's second-biggest carrier, said it will jointly sell seats with EVA on flights between Tokyo and Taipei after Narita opens its second runway.
EVA and China Airlines now operate the only scheduled international flights to Haneda, a concession made after Japan switched diplomatic recognition to Beijing and severed official ties with Taipei in 1974. Japan-Taiwan air links resumed in 1975, after Japan agreed to let China Airlines use Haneda instead of Narita.
China regards the Taiwan flag as a symbol of a rebel government that should be boycotted.
China Airlines removed the flag from its aircraft in 1995.
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