The much-anticipated cross-Straits charter flight planned for
the upcoming Spring Festival period is on the verge of failure as
Taipei remains reluctant to take practical steps to facilitate the
program.
The China Civil Aviation Association Tuesday sent a public
letter to presidents of Taiwanese-funded enterprise groups, blaming
Taiwan authorities for hindering the scheme.
Meanwhile, the non-governmental organization assured
mainland-based Taiwan investors that transport authorities have
ordered emergency measures to make it convenient for them to fly
home.
The association signaled an ultimatum in the letter to Taipei,
warning that further delay from the island authorities may finally
ground the charter flight plan.
Time is apparently running out for arranging the charter flights
as the Spring Festival falls on January 22 this year.
The mainland move has been part of recent efforts to push ahead
with the program since the General Administration of Civil Aviation
of China (CAAC) compromised on its stance.
On December 31, Pu Zhaozhou, director of the CAAC's Office of
Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Affairs, said Beijing was willing to
withdraw its demand for the participation of mainland airlines in
the charter flight plan in the coming Chinese Lunar New
Year.
The mainland will allow one-way charter flights to the mainland
by Taiwanese carriers as long as the Taiwan authorities permit
direct charter flights without stopovers in a third location and
promise to allow the participation of mainland airlines next time,
Pu said.
Taipei, however, has so far failed to respond positively to the
mainland's gesture while insisting that the proposed charter
flights be indirect via a third location.
During last year's Spring Festival, six Taiwanese airlines were
allowed to operate 16 charter flights to and from the mainland for
the first time in 54 years. Mainland airlines, however, were
completely excluded from running the flights.
The China Civil Aviation Association said mainland transport
authorities have ordered several measures to prepare for the
failure of this year's charter flight plan.
They include the arrangement of extra flights by mainland
airlines to Hong Kong and Macao. Meanwhile, Hong Kong Dragonair and
Air Macao will also be allowed to run more flights from the
mainland to Taiwan via Hong Kong and Macao.
So far, a total of 305 extra flights have been planned to
provide about 30,000 seats in the Spring Festival period.
Taiwanese businesspeople may also travel home by taking
advantage of shipping links between Fujian's Xiamen and Fuzhou and
Taiwan's Jinmen and Matsu.
As many as 1 million Taiwanese businesspeople and their families
are estimated to live and work on the mainland and about 300,000 of
them are expected to return to the island for holiday
festivities.
(China Daily January 7, 2004)