High-speed rail link expected to reduce demand for domestic airline services, freeing up congested airport space
Taiwan is expected to open its airspace to business aircraft by the end of the year and to authorise landings at Taipei's Chiang Kai Shek International airport.
Business jet manufacturers say Taiwan's Civil Aeronautics Admini-stration has promised to unveil new regulations, which it has been studying since 2002, around mid-year that will lift the current ban on all private aircraft operations.
Manufacturers are advocating that Taipei's downtown domestic airport, Sungshan, be opened to business aircraft, but they say the administration favours Chiang Kai Shek. Manufacturers still hope Sungshan, which is much more convenient than Chiang Kai Shek for potential Taipei-based customers, will eventually be opened. They say a new high-speed rail line that is set for completion next year will reduce demand for domestic airline services, freeing parking space at congested Sungshan for business jets.
Outside Taipei, airports in secondary cities such as Kaohsiung and Tainan will also be opened. Manufacturers, however, believe there is not much of a market for business aircraft flights within Taiwan. Instead, companies are keen to use business aircraft to fly executives from Taipei to other cities in Asia.
Dassault estimates 20 Taiwanese companies will buy business jets if the ban is lifted. A couple of local companies already own such aircraft, but are forced to base them outside Taiwan. There are no restrictions prohibiting Taiwanese companies from owning aircraft, but current regulations ban them from flying them to Taiwan. Business jets owned by the government and by shipping giant Evergreen are the only exceptions. Evergreen gets around the ban because its business jet is flown under sister company EVA Airways' air operator's certificate.
The ban is based on a claim that there is not enough space in the sky and on the ground to accommodate business aircraft. But manufacturers argue business aircraft would generate relatively few flights.
The local aerospace industry, which manufactures components for several business aircraft types and has ownership stakes in some general aviation companies, has also pushed for the ban to be lifted on all general aviation aircraft except ultralights.
BRENDAN SOBIE / SINGAPORE
Source: Flight International
