Taiwan-U.K. Flights Now 10 per Week

The number of weekly flights between Taiwan and the United Kingdom will increase to 10 under a new air services agreement forged recently between the two countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Saturday.

There are currently six flights per week on the Taiwan-U.K. route.

The agreement, which was signed on Thursday and is effective immediately, replaced a previous one sealed in 1992 between the Taipei Airlines Association and British Airways, according to a statement released by the MOFA.

It is the third one since 2001 that has been established in the name of organizations representing the two governments, which is helpful to promoting exchanges between their peoples and enhancing bilateral substantive relations, the MOFA said.

In recent years, Taiwan-U.K. air services market has been growing rapidly thanks to increasing exchanges in business, trade, tourism, academics and culture between the two sides, the ministry said.

The growth has been especially obvious since Taiwanese citizens were allowed visa-free entry to the United Kingdom for visits of up to six months on March 3, it said.

Statistics from British authorities show that during the month between March 16 and April 15, a total of 5,421, or 41.61 percent, more Taiwanese visited the United Kingdom than in the same period last year.

(Source: Taiwan Headlines, Date: 16 Nov 2009)