October 27, 2014
MAC News Release No. 95
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) stated that the executive branch would begin procedures, in reference to legal provisions, to enact the Air Transport Agreement between Taiwan and Macao (New Taiwan-Macao Air Transport Agreement) signed in February this year (2014). The agreement will take effect once Taiwan and Macao have completed the mutual notification procedures.
The MAC indicated that the extended expiry date of the original Taiwan-Macao Air Transport Agreement was set for November 30 this year (2014). If the new agreement could not take effect before this date, Taiwan-Macao flight route would be interrupted, seriously impacting the people’s travel convenience and airlines’ rights and interests on both sides. Neither the public nor the government would welcome any impact on the normal Taiwan-Macao flight route operations.
The MAC explained that the New Taiwan-Macao Air Transport Agreement was signed in Macao on February 17 this year by the Taiwan and Macao representative offices’ representatives. The content of the agreement does not involve legal amendment, therefore the MAC and Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) jointly submitted the agreement to the Legislative Yuan for reference on March 13. According to resolution made at the Legislative Yuan meeting on May 2, the agreement was presented to the Legislative Yuan's Internal Administration Committee and Transportation Committee for review; more than three months have passed since then. Therefore, in reference to procedural precedent and provisions under Article 61 of the Exercise of Legislative Powers Law, the MAC and MOTC have initiated procedures to enact the new agreement. The MAC stated that, with full respect to congressional oversight, follow-up procedures to enact the agreement will be initiated once the New Taiwan-Macao Air Transport Agreement is submitted to the Legislative Yuan for related procedures.
The New Taiwan-Macao Air Transport Agreement was signed by the official representative institutions’ representatives from the two governments, meaning the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office of the Taiwan side and the Macao Economic and Cultural Office of the Macao side. Unlike the previous agreement signed by airlines on the two sides, the new agreement highlights the official nature of the freedoms of the air. Furthermore, whereas the previous agreement restricted passenger and cargo capacity and specified airlines, the new agreement has not set restrictions for passenger, cargo capacity, or total number of flights. It also allows Taiwan and Macao to decide their respective carriers, thus provides greater operational flexibility for airlines and enhances travel conveniences for tourists from both sides.