South Korea and Taiwan are closer to ending a decade-long dispute over air services after giving approval for two months of regular charter flights.
Korean Air (KAL) will operate thrice-weekly charter flights with Boeing 737-800s until 21 February after winning approval from the Taiwanese government. They will be the first regular services between the countries since the early 1990s, when the two sides severed diplomatic ties, and follow a series of informal talks on reinstating ties in recent years.
South Korea is in return allowing Taiwan's TransAsia Airways to operate four-times-weekly Airbus A321 services between Taipei and Yangyang up to 18 February.
Passenger services by national carriers between South Korea and Taiwan were halted in 1992 after Seoul switched its diplomatic recognition to Beijing from Taipei and an air services agreement was scrapped. Since then airlines from Taipei and Seoul have been officially barred from operating to the other side, although Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways and Thai Airways do operate between the two capitals.
Source: Airline Business
