Will a Large Number of Mainland Chinese Tourists Come to Taiwan? Starting July, 'Four Direct Flights Resumed' with 97% Load Factor—Is Supply Unable to Meet Demand? MAC Responds

The Taiwan Affairs Office of mainland China recently stated that mainland airlines have resumed and added four direct cross-strait flight routes since July, with passenger load factors reaching as high as 97%. It urged Taiwan to promptly lift restrictions on direct cross-strait flights. In response, MAC Vice Chairman and Spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh explained during a regular press briefing that demand for international travel among Taiwanese citizens has surged comprehensively—not only are cross-strait routes busy, but flights to popular destinations such as Japan, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam are also experiencing extremely high passenger demand. Currently, nearly all international routes are in a state of supply shortage relative to demand.

Are cross-strait flight rights really insufficient? Are Taiwanese carriers leaving nearly 100 weekly flights unused?

Regarding public concerns about whether the cross-strait direct flight market is truly supply-constrained, Liang Wen-chieh provided a data-driven analysis. He stated that under the current flight rights allocation, Taiwanese carriers are allocated 211 weekly flights, while mainland carriers receive 209. However, reviewing the actual operations of Taiwanese airlines, only 114 flights are currently being operated weekly, meaning 97 allocated flights per week remain unused.

Liang emphasized that national carriers such as EVA Air and China Airlines make route planning decisions based on their own commercial and operational considerations. Airlines assess operating costs and determine which routes yield higher profits—these decisions are made autonomously by carriers based on market mechanisms to maximize benefits.

On concerns regarding route approvals and government regulation, Liang clearly delineated the boundaries of responsibility. He explained that the MAC's role is primarily to plan and recommend overall policy, while decisions on which specific routes to operate or which airline will participate are left entirely to individual carriers, based on their assessment of market demand, fleet availability, and passenger capacity.

Media outlets inquired whether China Airlines' planned resumption of direct flights from Taoyuan to Chongqing starting October 28 requires special approval from the MAC. Liang clearly responded that as long as airlines adjust operations within their existing allocated flight rights, they are free to decide whether to launch or resume specific routes, and the MAC does not participate in or intervene in individual route application or approval processes.

Travel boom drives aviation market! National carriers flexibly deploy global routes

With rising demand for overseas travel and business exchanges among Taiwanese citizens, the deployment of flight capacity by Taiwan's airlines has become increasingly diversified. Given strong demand on popular routes to Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia, airlines naturally prioritize allocating their limited fleet resources to routes with the most significant market returns.

The MAC reiterated that the operation of cross-strait routes is entirely the result of market mechanisms. With ample remaining flight rights capacity, future decisions on increasing, reducing, or resuming cross-strait flights will continue to be made autonomously by airlines based on market supply and demand and commercial interests.