Japan and Taiwan have expanded the terms of their air services agreement, allowing EVA Air to launch twice weekly flights into Haneda Airport near downtown Tokyo, and giving Japanese airlines four more flights a week between the two countries.
The lucrative Taipei-Haneda route has consistently been a top revenue producer for China Airlines (CAL), which operates 21 weekly flights into the airport. CAL is the only non-Japanese carrier allowed into Haneda, until EVA begins its twice weekly Boeing MD-11 flights at the end of August. For political reasons, Taiwan carriers fly to Haneda, while mainland Chinese airlines use Narita.
The new agreement also converts EVA's three weekly Taipei-Sapporo charters into scheduled services and expands the total number of charters between the two countries.
Meanwhile, EVA has sold a 20% equity interest in Evergreen Airline Service, which provides ground-handling services at Chiang Kai-Shek International airport, to Singapore Airport Terminal Services. EVA now holds a 59% stake in the company.
Source: Flight International
