CAB admits air talks getting nowhere

Talks to resolve a row over an air agreement between the Philippines and Taiwan appear to be going nowhere as two Taiwanese airline companies remained firm on their stand to bring its passengers in the United States via Manila.

An official of the Civil Aeronautics Board told a forum that Manila had offered solutions to the impasse, but EVA Air and China Airlines refused them.

Air links between Manila and Taipei were cut on Oct. 1 last year when the 1996 Air Services Agreement was terminated due to rampant violations by Taiwanese carriers, which are alleged to have hurt Philippine Airlines (PAL).

A month later, the CAB lifted the suspension, restoring a 9,600-passenger a week limit for Taiwanese carriers.

The CAB, however, imposed two conditions that China Airlines and EVA Air desist from servicing passengers to a third country destination and that negotiations for a new pact must be completed within three months.

During these negotiations, Manila wanted the 9,600-passenger limit reduced to only 3,000, while Taipei insisted the carriers needed 6,500 passengers a week to avoid losses.

According to CAB member Franklin Ebdalin, EVA Air and China Airlines also said that a clause on the third country destination, or the so-called "sixth freedom," is non-existent in the air agreement.

"It's a deadlock," Ebdalin said. "I do not know when this will end, but what we want is to protect the country's aviation industry."

In November last year, Presidential Spokesman Fernando Barican said Taiwan's demand for an "indefinite and condition-free" restoration of air links would seriously harm not only PAL but also the country's aviation industry. -- Sheila Crisostomo