Charter flights between Taiwan and the Philippines, unaffected by the recent ban on scheduled flights between the two countries due to the row over their air services agreement, are to be suspended by the end of the year. The move will see the severing of the last air links between the two countries.
Flights between the Philippines and Taiwan ended on 1 October, but charter flights to Cebu City, Subic Bay and Laoag - three a week to each destination, by U-Land Airlines, Far Eastern Air Transport and UNI Air - were allowed to continue as they were not subject to the aviation agreement.
Taiwan's Civil Aeronautics Administration, however, upset by the continuing stalemate with its Philippines counterpart, has opted to ban charter flights as well.
Ticket prices for the charter airlines still serving the route have nearly doubled in the wake of the schedule flight ban, from an average NT$7,000 ($220) per round trip, to NT$12,000.
Meanwhile, negotiations between the two countries have ceased, and the flight ban, imposed by the Philippines to protect struggling national carrier Philippine Airlines, looks set to continue. The protectionist move has caused worry in the Asian airline industry, as the Philippines has now targeted Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia for similar renegotiation of air agreements.
Source: Flight International
