Singapore, Nov. 13 (CNA) Taiwan's transport minister proposed Friday during a bilateral talk with Canada's Minister of International Trade Stockwell Day that Taiwan and Canada should increase passenger flights to more destinations in the two countries, according to a Taiwanese official who was present at the meeting. Mao Chi-kuo, the head of Taiwan's Ministry of Transportation and Communications, told Day on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation ministerial meeting that Taiwan even hopes to sign an open skies treaty in aviation under which air carriers on both sides could decide the number of flights they will serve, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Open skies means unrestricted access by any carrier into the sovereign territory of a country without any written agreement specifying capacity, ports of call or schedule of services.
At present, the passenger load factor of airlines between the two countries is at 80 percent, and even 90 precent during the Lunar New Year.
If more flights and airlines are added between the two countries, it could resolve the problem of an insufficient number of seats on the flights, according to the official.
Day promised he will convey Mao's opinion to Canada's transport ministry for further discussions, the official said, adding that the Open Skies policy has become a global trend.
(By Tang Pei-chun and Y.L. Kao)
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