中華民國外交部

Taiwan and the United Kingdom signed an agreement on the operation of air services

On November 12, 2009, Taiwan and the United Kingdom completed the signing of an agreement on the operation of air services. The Agreement on the Operation of Air Services between the Taipei Representative Office in the United Kingdom and the British Trade and Cultural Office, Taipei, upon its entry into force on its signing date, replaced the Agreement between Taipei Airlines Association and British Airways PLC on Air Services signed in 1992. It allows for the maximum number of weekly round-trip flights between Taiwan and the United Kingdom to increase from 6 to 10 in each way. This agreement, the third one endorsed between the two offices, will help strengthen the substantive relations between Taiwan and the United Kingdom. The first two agreements were the Agreement on Educational and Cultural Matters, signed in 2001, and the Agreement for Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income and on Capital Gains, signed in 2002.
In recent years, Taiwan and the United Kingdom have fostered closer substantive relations in the areas of trade, tourism, culture and education. Therefore, the market for two-way air services has thrived rapidly. Since the United Kingdom granted Taiwan passport holders visa free status on March 3, 2009, the number of Taiwanese visitors to the United Kingdom has increased significantly. According to the United Kingdom, the number of tourists from Taiwan to the UK from March 16 to April 15, 2009 expanded to 5,421 visitors, 41% higher in comparison with the same period in 2008. Given the fact that the number of flights stipulated in the former agreement was not able to meet the increasing demand, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Transportation and Communications entered consultations with their UK counterparts. It is believed that the new agreement will not only facilitate people’s travel convenience, but also further enhance the future bilateral exchanges between Taiwan and the United Kingdom in the areas of trade, tourism, culture and education.（E）