In order to promote cross-strait negotiations on cargo and passenger charter flights, the Taiwanese government announced on August 3, 2005 that the arrangements for both issues could be jointly negotiated. On August 12, 2005, the Taiwanese government officially commissioned the Taipei Airlines Association (TAA) to handle relevant liaison and arrangement. Under government authorization, the TAA promptly engaged in communications with China, to continue the exchange of views on related technical issues. The results were reaching a consensus and successfully implementing the 2006 Lunar New Year charter flights.
Presently, both sides still hold divergent opinions regarding the issue of regular cargo and passenger charter flight operations, which has to be resolved with further efforts. However, after sufficient communications, the responsible authorities on both sides have agreed to first implement four types of specialized charter flights on which they have reached a consensus. These include: specialized cargo charter flights, institutionalization of holiday passenger charter flights, charter flights for emergency medical treatment, and special humanitarian charter flights for emergency relief and persons with disabilities (or illness). Both sides have affirmed their consensus on related arrangements and operational details, as shown below ("Arrangements for Specialized Cross-Strait Charter Flights").
With regard to follow-up implementation of the above-mentioned four types of specialized charter flights, the MAC will coordinate with the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) and other related agencies to promptly draft related operational regulations. We will publicly announce these regulations to facilitate the air carriers’ applications once the administrative process has been completed. As to the operations of regular cargo and passenger charter flights, both sides have agreed to engage in active communication, in order to achieve concrete results in arrangement.
Reference Information on Arrangements for Specialized Cross-Strait Charter Flights
June 14, 2006
1. Specialized cargo charter flights
(1) Scope: Limited to Taiwanese business people; and cargo is limited to carrying machineries, equipments, and related component parts or other designated items needed by the operations of Taiwan-invested companies. Taiwanese businessmen can also ship their machineries or equipments from China back to Taiwan.
(2) Flight destinations: Flight destinations will be jointly decided by the responsible government agencies across the Strait.
(3) Qualified applicants: Limited to air carriers across the Strait, with approval to be granted on a case-by-case basis.
2. Institutionalization of holiday charter flights
(1) Scope: Limited to travel during the holidays of the Lunar New Year, Tomb Sweeping Day, Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival.
(2) Charter flight period: Limited, in principle, to the 14 days before and after the Lunar New Year holidays; and the seven days before and after Tomb Sweeping Day, Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival.
(3) Flight destinations
1. Flight destinations in Taiwan: Taoyuan (Chiang Kai-shek International Airport) and Kaohsiung (Kaohsiung International Airport)
2. Flight destination in China: Shanghai (Pudong International Airport), Beijing (Capital International Airport), Guangzhou (Baiyun International Airport) and Xiamen (Gaoqi International Airport)
(4) Number of airlines: Six airlines on each side
(5) Number of flights
The total number of flights from both sides will be limited to 168 each year, allocated as follows:
1. Lunar New Year holidays: 96 flights (48 flights for each side)
2. Tomb Sweeping Day, Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival: 72 flights (12 flights for each side for each of the three holidays)
3. For management purposes, any flight quotas that are not used during the allocated holiday will be waived.
4. The number of roundtrip charter flights to Shanghai during the Lunar New Year charter flight holidays will be limited to 30 for each side.
(6) Eligible passengers: Passenger eligibility will be based on the model of the 2006 Lunar New Year charter flights (residents of Taiwan with legal entry/exit permits issued by authorities on both sides of the Strait, employees of Taiwanese companies and their family members holding third country passports or who are Chinese nationals, are eligible passengers).
3. Charter flights for emergency medical treatment
(1) Scope: For the transportation of personnel and medical equipment necessary for emergency medical treatment.
(2) Eligible applicants: In principle, air carriers across the Strait may participate, with a limitation to charter planes certified by each side
(3) Eligible passengers: Residents of both sides across the Strait within the above-mentioned scope and who hold legal entry/exit permits
(4) Flight destinations: Flight destinations will be jointly decided by the responsible government agencies on both sides.
4. Special humanitarian charter flights
(1) Scope: Emergency relief, disabled (or ill) persons, and other special situations agreed to by both sides
(2) Eligible applicants: Limited to air carriers across the Strait
(3) Eligible passengers: Residents of Taiwan and China within the above-mentioned scope and who hold legal entry/exit permits
(4) Flight destinations: Flight destinations will be jointly decided by the responsible government agencies on both sides.
5. General Matters
(1) Application method: Applications will be handled based on the model adopted for the 2006 Lunar New Year charter flights according to regulations announced by the government agencies on both sides.
(2) Flight routes, aircraft, inspection and mutual verification of flight personnel certifications, flight personnel entry/exit permits, aircraft maintenance inspection methods, boarding inspection after landing, and other matters will be handled according to the model adopted for the 2006 Lunar New Year charter flights.
6. Any revisions to the above-mentioned arrangements must be first approved by the responsible government agencies on both sides.