By Will Lee
China Airlines and EVA Air Resumes Indonesia Services
Taiwan’s government has removed Indonesia from the list of high-risk countries in response to the coronavirus curve flattening in Indonesia. China Airlines and EVA Air have announced that regular flights to Indonesia will resume in November. The resumed services are expected to meet the rising business and cargo demand. Both airlines have suspended the services to Indonesia since the end of June.
Taiwan’s aviation industry is seeing a silver lining after the impact of the coronavirus with the airlines expected to benefit from the huge cargo demand. November is the peak season of the air cargo industry in Indonesia and the cargo price to North America hit $18 per kilogram. Earlier, both airlines revealed the revenue had been surged due to the strong demand of air cargo, but the passengers’ travel demand remained weak due to the international travel restrictions. Meanwhile, Taiwan experienced a large coronavirus outbreak in May, but the cases have dropped rapidly since June after carrying out strict restrictions.
Currently, foreign national are being suspended from entering Taiwan, and the transit services in Taiwan’s airports are halted as well. Taiwanese people have been willing to roll up their sleeves to get the vaccine since May. According to local media, 70% of Taiwan has taken their first jab and 30% of Taiwan’s citizens have been fully vaccinated. The high vaccination rate could clear the way for lifting some restrictions.
Earlier, the aviation industry expected the government to lift the restrictions on the “high-risk countries.” Compared to June, the cases in Myanmar and India have plummeted, however, cases in the U.K have not dropped recently. The airlines believed the demand for business and student travel between U.K. and Taiwan are strong.
In addition, some Asian countries, such as Malaysia and Singapore, have started reopening their borders to stimulate the travel industries. Thailand has joined its neighboring countries, trying to entice foreigners by introducing quarantine-free travel. Under the new scheme, Taiwanese travelers could go to Thailand without any restrictions. Travelers who have been fully vaccinated with designated vaccines 14 days before arriving in Thailand are eligible. Thailand is one of the favorite destinations for Taiwanese tourists.
Earlier, Singapore’s government lifted travel restrictions for Taiwanese citizens as well. As a result of the new travel arrangements, China Airlines has increased its passenger flights frequencies to the city. The airline emphasized that it would adjust its services with flexibility.
Will has been a travel agent in Hong Kong for almost three decades, as time goes by he hasn’t lost his passion for his job, He still has plenty of enthusiasm for the airline industry and airport operations.
