Several aviation experts yesterday proposed using private jets to operate an “air taxi” — a customized flight service targeting business travelers — but aviation officials said this might not be feasible given current regulations.
Lin Chin-e (林清一), a professor at National Cheng Kung University, promoted the concept of an air taxi service at a seminar hosted by the Aviation Education Foundation to discuss regulations governing personal aircraft.
Lin said it was expensive to own a private jet as it would cost about NT$1.5 million (US$45,600) to maintain. But with an air taxi, businesspeople could enjoy the convenience of a private jet service without having to pay for maintenance and other miscellaneous costs.
“Business groups could invest in an air taxi by purchasing the aircraft, while leaving the maintenance and management to an air taxi operator,” he said. “Different air taxi operators could jointly solicit customers by organizing an online ticketing system.”
An air taxi service also gives businesspeople the advantage of being able to choose the time of their departure and arriving at an airport near their destination, Lin said.
The cost for using these charter flights would help big companies save money in the long run, he said.
To avoid compromising comfort, Lin said the service was better suited to flights under three hours.
However, Billy Chang (張國政), chairman of the Aviation Education Foundation and a former director-general of the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA), said the proposal could run counter to existing aviation regulations.
Chang said the local aviation sector is divided into three categories: airlines, general aviation and private aviation.
Airlines like EVA Air (長榮航空) or China Airlines (中華航空) operate passenger or cargo flights on a regular schedule for the general public, he said.
Daily Air (德安航空) or private jet owners offer flight services to a niche market or special class of customers. Daily Air owns licenses to provide helicopter and commercial charter jet services.
“At present, only airlines can solicit customers and sell tickets,” Chang said. “In that case, they are legally qualified to offer an air taxi service. Others can't.”
Lee Dong-yang (李東陽), a CAA official, said that the cross-strait aviation pact only allows airlines from Taiwan and China to offer cross-strait services.
“Both sides have not allowed aircraft with a capacity of below 19 passengers to target businesspeople. These aircraft can only be used for humanitarian or medical charter flight services,” he said.
A number of Taiwanese entrepreneurs are reported to own private jets, including Hon Hai Group chairman Terry Gou (郭台銘), Ruentex Financial Group chairman Samuel Yin (尹衍樑) and Evergreen Group chairman Chang Jung-fa (張榮發).
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS