Taiwan fines China Airlines, quarantines pilots

China Airlines (CI, Taipei Taoyuan) has been fined TWD1 million Taiwan new dollars (USD35,600) by Taiwan’s Civil Aeronautics Administration (TWCAA) for failing to comply with COVID-19 health protocols. This comes after Taiwan’s Central Epidemiological Command Centre (CECC) on May 10 quarantined for 14 days all of the airline’s pilots currently in Taiwan and any who return – a move expected to affect the carrier’s operations. The authorities’ actions are linked to a cluster of 35 new COVID-19 cases since April 20 linked to China Airlines crews and the Novotel Taipei Taoyuan International Airport Hotel, where many of them stayed. The hotel, since temporary closed, is located next to China Airline’s corporate head office. Speaking during a news conference on May 7, 2021, Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said: “This will have a big impact on China Airlines, on its passenger and freighter flights, and for the crew, too. But for the safety of the whole community we cannot but make this decision”, Reuters reports. The hotel was fined TWD150,000 (USD5,347) by the Taiwan Tourism Bureau and TWS15,000 (USD535) by the Taoyuan city council (the municipality where the airport is located). China Airlines told Reuters it would split the quarantining pilots into groups and try “as much as possible to maintain flight operations; it is not a total grounding”. It would further prioritise cargo flights, but customers should expect disruptions, the carrier said. “The short-term reduction in Taiwan’s import and export capacity will affect the delivery time of goods,” China Airlines said, without elaborating. Taiwan’s health authorities believe some of the pilots got infected overseas, then spread the infection upon returning to Taiwan, and that others could have been infected by pilots from other airlines staying at the same hotel. Focus on Taiwan reports the TWCAA has, meanwhile, revised its regulations on flight operations to include penalties for violating disease prevention measures while on duty in flight or in a foreign country. The new rules stipulate that flight and cabin crews must comply with CAA directives that were devised based on the CECC’s COVID-19 prevention rules and health guidelines. Violations will incur fines of TWD600,000 (USD21,346) to TWD3 million (USD107,000) for airlines and TWD60,000 (USD2,100) to TWD300,000 (USD10,600) for individual flight crew members. The new rules also apply to other airline personnel such as ground staff and maintenance workers.