Chen Rushes Inauguration of Chingchuankang International Airport Despite Construction

March 5, 2004

Chen Rushes Inauguration of Airport Despite
Construction
China Post, Taiwan


The Executive Yuan (Cabinet) is determined to launch
the Chingchuankang International Airport in central
Taiwan today in spite of calls for patience until the
construction work is completed and safety ensured.
President Chen Shui-bian is expected to personally cut
the ribbon at the inauguration of the airport in
Taichung. 

Three chartered flights will take a total of 360 local
tourists to Tokyo, Phuket Island of Thailand and Palau
in the Pacific Ocean to give the airport the status of
"international airport" for one day.

All services at Chingchuankang will be reversed back
to domestic flights tomorrow.

In order to deliver the promise made by President Chen
four years ago, construction work at Chingchuankang, a
former military airport, was started six months ago.
Workers were still carrying out interior decorations
while trucks were hauling asphalt and giant rollers
were seen giving finishing touches to the roads
outside the terminal building.

Opposition lawmakers elected from Taichung urged the
government not to recklessly open the airport to
expanded civilian use just in order to complete the
formality of inaugurating new services right before
the presidential election.

They said the civilian airplanes have to share the
same runway with the military jets. The Ministry of
National Defense's call for building a separate runway
for civil aeronautic services before opening the new
flight services has been ignored.

Independent lawmakers also urged the government to
inaugurate civilian flights after the fire-prevention
facilities officially pass inspection.

They suggested that government designate the airport
for direct flight services with China to help speed up
business development in central Taiwan. This will
enable the airport to perform a different role and
complement the services of the Chiang Kai-shek
International Airport in Taoyuan.

Liao Yung-lai, director of the Cabinet's Coordination
Office in Central Taiwan, said that without the formal
approval for the safety facilities from the Taichung
County Government will only be "a minor defect" but
will not prevent the inauguration at all. What lacks
is just a formal document, he said.

The Cabinet will close the Shuinan Airport in Taichung
starting today since the Chingchuankang airport is
taking over the services from the airport used for
domestic civilian flights.

 Do you have an opinion about this story?
Share it with other readers in our CAA Discussion Forums

http://www.californiaaviation.org/dc/dcboard.php

*****************************************