MOTC Fields Questions about New Taichung Airport

MOTC Fields Questions about New Taichung Airport
Taipei Times, Taiwan

Friday, Feb 20, 2004

 
Plans for the upcoming launch of the Taichung
International Airport came under fire yesterday when
opposition legislators accused transportation
officials of prematurely opening the airport's doors
for the sake of gaining political points in the
election campaign.

The Ministry of Transportation and Communications
(MOTC) also assured lawmakers yesterday that it would
be prepared to accommodate China-based Taiwanese
businessmen returning to Taiwan to vote in the
presidential elections.

The ministry admitted yesterday during a legislative
interpellation session that despite the official
launching of Taichung's Chingchuankang International
Airport on March 5, the airport would not be able to
meet the requirements of a standard international
airport until 2008.

In response to questions by People First Party (PFP)
Legislator Lee Hung-chun (李鴻鈞), Minister of
Transportation and Communications Lin Ling-san
(林陵三) admitted that another runway would have to be
constructed before the airport could service scheduled
international flights. The airport will only be able
to service chartered international flights when it is
launched in March.

In addition, Civil Aeronautics Administration Director
General Billy Chang (張國政) admitted that the new
airport would be unable to service any flights at
night for safety reasons.

Chang also said that while the domestic runway could
not accommodate larger aircraft, the military runway
at the Chingchuankang airport could be used for larger
aircrafts for the time being.

"Even after the first chartered flights on March 5,
the airport will continue to service chartered flights
when necessary," said Chang, in response to
accusations that the upcoming chartered flights were
merely a political performance.

Lin also said that scheduled domestic flights leaving
from the Taichung airport would begin on March 6.

"You do not even know for sure that the flights
departing on March 5 will be able to return," Lee
said.

Of the three flights slated to be the airport's first
departures, the China Airlines flight to Tokyo will
return via the Chiang Kai-shek In-ternational Airport.
The return itineraries of the other two flights, Far
Eastern Air Transport flights to Thailand and Palau,
have yet to be determined.

Meanwhile, the ministry yesterday revealed that it
would be prepared to transport up to 200,000
China-based Taiwanese businessmen in the three days
leading up to the presidential elections and
referendum.

Lin said that it was unlikely that all of the
businessmen would make the trip to Taiwan in the same
time period. 


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