Far Eastern Air Transport to halt operations

Far Eastern Air Transport (IATA Code: FE), a Taiwanese air carrier serving domestic and regional routes, announced today that the company will halt all operations on 13 December, citing more than a decade of operational and financial difficulties. Ticket sales already stopped today and the company has given employees notices. Mandarin Airlines and UNI Airways are expected to take over the domestic routes, especially those to outlying islands of Taiwan.

Established in 1957, Far Easter Air Transport is the second privately-owned airlines in Taiwan, after TransAsia Airways. It started as a mail carrier and grew to become one of the largest domestic carriers in Taiwan. It expanded to international operations in in 1995 and flew to 5 domestic and 7 international destinations in China, Japan, and Korea before today. It operated 12 aged short- and mid-range planes. The company has been cancelling a large number of flights since the beginning of this year, resulting in a NT$3 million fine from the Civil Aeronautics Administration in May. Far Eastern Air Transport also served as the ground handling agent for several international carriers, including Jetstar Pacific, Cebu Pacific, JC Airlines, and Peach Aviation.

EVA Airways flight attendants on strike

Update 6 pm 7 July 2019: EVA Airways and Taoyuan Flight Attendants Union have reached and signed an agreement to end the 17-day strike. Flight operation will return to normal by the end of the month.

Following the breakdown of negotiation between EVA Airways and the Taoyuan Flight Attendants Union, which represents about 75% of EVA Airways’ flight attendants, the union announced that flight attendants will strike beginning 4 pm today. The month-long vote to strike was passed on June 13, when 90% of more than 3200 members agreed to take the industrial action. This follows a similar strike by flights attendants working for China Airlines, Taiwan’s flag-carrier, two years ago.

EVA Airways, Taiwan’s second largest airlines and a member of the Star Alliance, flies to more than 70 destinations in Australia, Asia, Europe, and North America. Skytrax recently ranked EVA Airways as the sixth best airlines in the world. Negotiations between company management and union broke down after the company refused union demands to raise pay and lower working hours and invoked retaliatory measures against union members. EVA Airways has an all-female flight attendant workforce.

US slams Chinese threat to airlines over Taiwan reference

The White House today condemns China for the “Orwellian nonsense” and efforts to “impose [Chinese Community Party’s] political views on American citizens and private companies.” Specifically, these efforts refer to China’s order to foreign airlines and companies to remove reference of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao as separate countries and territories. Several companies already complied with the order earlier this year, including Delta Air Lines, which removed Taiwan’s flag from its website.

Lunar new year flights cancelled amid air route row

China Eastern Airlines and Xiamen Airlines announced today the cancellation of 176 round-trip flights added during the lunar new year in February to meet increased passenger demand during the holidays. Taiwan’s Civil Aeronautics Administration have not approved the added flights in retaliation of the companies flying the northbound M503 and connecting W121, W122, and W123 routes off China’s southeastern coast, citing national security and aviation safety concerns.

While Taiwan and China agreed on using the southbound M503 route following negotiation in 2015, using the route northbound and the three W connecting routes are only supposed to start with consultation of aviation authorities on the two sides. M503 is close to the median line between Taiwan and China’s air-defense identification zones. China unilaterally opened the four routes on January 4.

Taoyuan Airport Metro to start operation

The recently-finished Taoyuan Airport MRT will begin commercial service on 2 March 2017, after construction first started in 2006 and was delayed multiple times. Trains run from both terminals of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (A12 & A13) eastbound through New Taipei and Taipei to Taipei Main Station (A1) and southbound through Taoyuan City.

Travel time for express trains (purple, stopping at A1, A3, A8, A12, and A13) between the airport and Taipei Main Station is 30-40 minutes and are expected to run 4-5 times every hour (6 am-11 pm). Travel time for commuter trains (blue, every stop) is about one hour and will run every 15 minutes. Tickets between the airport and Taipei Main cost NT$160/person. Fares to other stations start at NT$30. EasyCard, iPass, and HappyCash are accepted. Tickets are 50% off during the first month of operation (2 March-1 April).

Passengers can transfer to Taipei Metro in stations A1-A3, to high speed rail in stations A1 (HSR Taipei) and A18 (HSR Taoyuan), and to regular railway in stations A1 (Taipei Main) and A23 (TRA Zhongli, not yet open). Passengers flying China Airlines, EVA Airways, Mandarin Airlines, and UNI Airways can check in and drop their luggage at A1 Taipei Main Station for flights departing after 9 am on the same day. Bag drop must be completed three hours before flight departure.

Taoyuan Airport MRT is the first line (Blue line) of Taoyuan Metro to open. Three more lines (Green, Orange, and Brown) are being planned and will connect stations A10, A11, A16, and A21 of the Airport MRT.

TransAsia Airways to be dissolved

Taiwan’s third largest airlines, TransAsia Airways (IATA Code: GE), announced today that the company will be dissolved, citing operational and financial difficulties, especially after two fatal crashes in July 2014 and February 2015. All flights were halted since yesterday, and the company will refund all tickets to passengers. Employees are being given notices and laid off, and labor disputes are expected. China Airlines has offered to assist travelers stranded overseas due to the flight suspension.

Established in 1951, TransAsia Airways is the first privately-owned airlines in Taiwan. It started primarily as a domestic carrier, but expanded to operating international flights in in 1995 to Indonesia and flew to 6 domestic and 26 international destinations (mostly within Asia) before today. It operated 16 short- and mid-range planes. Prior to the crashes, TransAsia Airways attempted to broaden its passenger base by establishing a low-cost carrier, V Air, in 2014, only to then merge it back with the main company in August this year. TransAsia Airways also served as the ground handling agent for several international carriers, including Thai Airways, Jetstar Asia, Cebu Pacific, Xiamen Airlines, and Sichuan Airlines.