Decoding the Taiwan Strait: Major Changes in Taiwan's Direct Flights to Chengdu! EVA Air and China Airlines Switch to Shuangliu Airport, Will Cross-Strait Direct Flights Be 'Diminished'?

Chengdu is the third major city in China, after Beijing and Shanghai, to have 'dual airports,' namely 'Tianfu Airport' and 'Shuangliu Airport.' Tianfu primarily serves international routes, while Shuangliu focuses on China's domestic business express routes. However, the Sichuan Airport Group recently announced that EVA Air and China Airlines' direct flights to Tianfu Airport will be changed to Shuangliu Airport starting at the end of July. Some voices believe that these small changes may bring concerns that Taiwan will be 'domesticated' like Hong Kong and Macau. On July 15, the Sichuan Airport Group issued an announcement that starting from 6:00 AM on July 30, 2026, some 'Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan region' passenger flights currently operating at Terminal 1 of Chengdu Tianfu Airport will be transferred in batches to Terminal 1 of Chengdu Shuangliu Airport for operation. Passengers are reminded to confirm airport information before departure to avoid going to the wrong airport. Among them, EVA Air's BR766, BR765, and China Airlines' CI552, CI551 flights will all be transferred from Tianfu Airport, which mainly handles international routes, to Shuangliu Airport, which mainly handles China's domestic routes. Has the Taiwan route been downgraded?