A new daily flight route between Taichung City in central Taiwan and Tokyo was inaugurated June 14, a move expected to boost people-to-people exchanges and tourism industry development for both sides.
 
Operated by Mandarin Airlines, a subsidiary of Taoyuan City-based China Airlines Co. Ltd., the outbound service departs Taichung International Airport at 7:30 a.m. and arrives at Narita International Airport around noon. The inbound service takes off at 1 p.m. and lands just before 4 p.m.
 
Taichung City Mayor Lin Chia-lung said during the launch ceremony that the flight will save residents at least three hours travel time as they no longer have to journey to Taiwan Taoyuan International or Taipei Songshan airports in northern Taiwan for a flight to the capital of Japan.
 
Citing official statistics from the Tourism Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, Lin said Taiwanese made 4.56 million visits to Japan last year, while Japanese made 1.89 million to Taiwan.
 
Lin said he expects the service to help bring the Japanese numbers up by making it more convenient for travelers from the Northeast Asian country to access Taichung and neighboring counties. Central Taiwan is treasure trove of sights and delights boasting enormous appeal for international tourists, he added.
 
Echoing Lin’s remarks, CAL Chairman Ho Nuan-hsuan said the Taichung flight is in addition to those offered by China and Mandarin airlines from Kaohsiung City in southern Taiwan and Taipei and Taoyuan. With the new route, the group now operates 81 direct services between Taiwan and Tokyo per week.
 
Later the same day, Lin and Ho were joined by Frank Hsieh, head of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan, at NIA in celebrating the commencement of the flight. Hsieh said he expects the service to prove popular with travelers from both sides and play a major role in sowing the seeds of success for the Taichung World Flora Exposition.
 
Running Nov. 3 to April 24, 2019, the expo is themed The Sound of Blooming and will showcase an array of native fruits and flowers, as well as promote emerging environmental concepts and solutions. It is taking place at Fengyuan Huludun Park, Houli Horse Ranch and Forest Park Area and Waipu Park Area. (SFC-E)