Deputy Transport Minister Wu Men-Feng says that allowing Mainland Chinese travelers to transfer flights in Taiwan will not lead to overcrowding in Taiwan’s airports.
Under current regulations, Mainland Chinese are not allowed to make connections in Taiwan. But during a cross-strait meeting in May, Taiwan and Mainland China reached a consensus on removing this restriction. Both sides hope to see the rule lifted by the end of the year.
Under the agreement, Mainland travelers making connections in Taiwan will not need the permits normally required to enter Taiwan.
The Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) has voiced its opposition to the move, citing political concerns and arguing that the agreement will lead to gridlock at Taiwanese airports. The transport ministry estimates that 500,000 Mainland Chinese will transit through Taiwan in the first year that rules on transfer flights are relaxed.
However, Deputy Transport Minister Wu Men-Feng said Wednesday that flights between Taiwan and the Mainland are generally only 70-75% full while flights between Taiwan and the US are only 75-80% full.
Wu said that this will give Taiwan’s airports extra capacity to deal with Mainland Chinese travelers transiting through Taiwan. He also said that work on one of Taoyuan International Airport’s runways is set for completion this year, allowing the airport to avoid gridlock.