China Airlines (CAL), Taiwan’s largest international carrier, yesterday said it would join Sky Team Alliance to better serve its passengers by providing a wider range of services.
Chief executives of Sky Team’s 13 member airlines are scheduled to visit Taiwan later this month and sign a letter of intent with CAL.
CAL said it would become the first Taiwanese carrier to join Sky Team and that the alliance’s logo would be carried on the CAL fleet.
Sky Team, one of the world’s three major airline alliances, was founded in June 2000. It currently provides approximately 13,000 flights to 898 destinations in 169 countries every day.
Among its member airlines are Aeroflot-Russian Airlines, Aeromexico, Air Europa, Air France, Alitalia, China Southern Airlines, Czech Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Kenya Airways, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Korean Air, Romanian Air Transport and Vietnam Airlines.
After joining the alliance, CAL said, it is expected to increase its destinations from the current 93 to 898 through code sharing with other member airlines.
In addition, CAL passengers will be able to collect mileage points through the alliance’s frequent flyer program and will be allowed use of the airport lounges operated by Sky Team members, it said.
CAL said its entry to Sky Team would help cut its operating costs because member carriers can share maintenance facilities, adding that it would have more flexibility when arranging its flight schedule.
After the letter of intent has been signed, there will be another six months of negotiations to finalize the details of the agreement, CAL said.
People should continue to cheer for Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting (林郁婷) at the Olympics Games in Paris today, despite British writer J.K. Rowling’s remarks against her, the Sports Administration said in a statement on Wednesday. Rowling recently shared on X a story from the Guardian about Lin and Algerian boxer Imane Khelif being cleared to compete in the Olympic Games in Paris this year despite having failed gender eligibility tests at the International Boxing Association Women’s World Boxing Championships in New Delhi last year. “What will it take to end this insanity? A female boxer left with life-altering injuries? A female boxer
Five countries have in the past few months canceled preferential visa treatment for Taiwan passport holders due to pressure from China, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. It was responding to a report by the National Audit Office that the number of countries offering preferential visa treatment to holders of Taiwan passports had dropped from 171 at the end of last year to 166 in April. In its Central Government Budget Audit Report, the National Audit Office also said that the ministry had failed to provide timely updates on the visa changes, which could affect Taiwan passport holders’ overseas travel. In response
More Taiwanese spectators at the Paris Olympics have reported having signs and banners confiscated by security staff or snatched by Chinese fans. Sandy Hsueh (薛雅俶), president of the Taiwanese Association in France, said that three security personnel confiscated a blank piece of cardboard from her at Sunday’s men’s doubles badminton final, in which Taiwan’s Lee Yang (李洋) and Wang Chi-lin (王齊麟) defeated China’s Liang Weikeng (梁偉鏗) and Wang Chang (王昶) to win their second consecutive Olympic gold medal in the event. A staff member told her they had “received an instruction from the Olympic Games saying that anything related to Taiwan or
DISCRIMINATORY: Airlines’ uniform requirements contravene the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, a watchdog said Airline companies’ appearance requirements obliging female flight attendants to wear pencil skirts and high heels are discriminatory, and they should be able to have the option to wear pants, the National Human Rights Commission said in a report yesterday. Completing a year-long probe, commission members said the uniform requirements of Taiwan’s air carriers contravened the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). To fight gender-based discrimination, government agencies should issue guidelines and require airlines to make changes so that female flight attendants have the option to wear pants, the report said. The Taoyuan Flight Attendants’ Union in