TAIWAN HAS concluded a five-year commercial air agreement with Macau, which permits for the first time "through flights" to China, using the same aircraft.
Under the agreement, signed on 17 October, start-up carrier Air Macau will be permitted to fly from Taipei or Kaoshiung to Macau and then on to China, with only a change in flight number.
Taiwanese law bans any direct air or sea links between the island and China, which previously also meant a change in flights at a third point, mainly Hong Kong. Taiwanese carriers have been pressing for a restoration of direct air links to China, broken more than 40 years ago.
The new bilateral deal, which is still subject to political ratification, clears the way for Air Macau to start services as soon as the Portuguese enclave's new airport is opened on 8 December. Up to two airlines from each side will be allowed an initial weekly capacity of 4,200 seats, rising to 8,400 by April 1996.
Sino-Portuguese-owned Air Macau plans to operate three flights a week to Taipei from December, increasing to six by April. A weekly flight between Macau and Kaoshiung, is scheduled to be added in January. TransAsia Airways and Eva Air have applied for the route, but have yet to be officially designated as Taiwan's carriers.
Hong Kong and Taiwan, in the meantime, have extended a temporary air-services agreement for another month, to allow more time to negotiate a new treaty. The two sides have agreed to allow each a second carrier, but cannot agree on the number of added frequencies between Hong Kong and Taipei. Taiwan's civil- aviation authority has reduced its demand from 35 to 21 additional flights, but Hong Kong is still insisting on only 14.
Taiwan's flag carrier, China Airlines, unveiled a new logo on 7 October, which omits the national flag. The carrier hopes that will ensure continued flights to Hong Kong after the 1997 hand over of the colony to China by the UK, and that another obstacle to direct flights to the mainland will have been removed.
See feature, P31.
Source: Flight International
