Legislator Urges Reservation of Air Seats for Residents; Kinmen County: Continuing Appeals to Central Government

(Central News Agency reporter Wu Wen-rong, Kinmen, July 14) A large number of Taiwanese travelers are using the 'Small Three Links' route through Kinmen to travel to China, causing flights between Taiwan and Kinmen to be frequently fully booked. Today, Kinmen County Council member Wu Pei-wen called on the county government to appeal to the Civil Aeronautics Administration to reserve flight seats for local residents. The Kinmen County Government responded that it will continue to advocate with central authorities.

During today's extraordinary session of the Kinmen County Council, independent councilor Wu Pei-wen pointed out that passenger numbers using the 'Small Three Links' have been steadily increasing, and with the current summer vacation period, local residents' rights to air travel have been severely affected and squeezed. As an outlying island, Kinmen has relatively insufficient educational and medical resources, and many residents rely on flights to Taiwan for exams, official business, medical treatment, and family visits.

Wu Pei-wen said that when residents urgently need to travel and open the booking system, they often find flights already full. Many locals have turned to legislators and the county government to appeal. She emphasized that residents' basic transportation rights must still be protected. She urged the county government to appeal to the Civil Aeronautics Administration to reserve 20% of seats on two daily round-trip flights for residents and suggested establishing a dedicated hotline for resident seat reservations. 'The relevant departments can also set up supporting measures internally,' she added.

In response, Kinmen County Government Tourism Division Director Hsu Chi-hsin stated that the county has made significant efforts in this area, including having established procedures for urgent and emergency cases. Regarding Wu Pei-wen's proposal, Hsu said they will continue to appeal to central authorities. (Edited by Li Heng-shan) 1150714