Taiwan has expressed gratitude to United for finding an unusual way to “differentiate” the island from mainland China while complying with Beijing’s “one China” demand. Ticket bookers can now see “New Taiwan Dollar”, “Chinese Yuan” and “Hong Kong Dollar” listed among destination names such as “Australia”, “India” and “Japan” when looking for currency and payment options on the company’s official website. The third-largest US airline removed Taiwan, China and Hong Kong as country or region names last month, ahead of a deadline imposed by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). Beijing sees Taiwan as part of its territory, or “one China”, awaiting reunification – by force if necessary – even though the island views itself as a sovereign nation and is a self-ruling democracy. Taiwanese foreign ministry spokesman Li Hsien-chang thanked the airline for its “flexibility” in using currency names to obscure its position on “one China” or “Taiwan independence”. “We would be glad to see any flexible workaround that differentiates Taiwan subjectively from China, in any means at all,” he said Wednesday. Li said Beijing’s pressure on international airlines was aimed at “dwarfing Taiwan” and making Taiwan part of mainland China, which was “absolutely unacceptable”.<br/>
star
SEthiopian Airlines has finalized a joint venture with the Chad government, paving the way for the launch of Chad’s new national carrier on Oct. 1. Ethiopia’s flag carrier has confirmed it will take a 49% stake in the JV, while the government will own the remaining 51%. The project has previously been referred to as Chad Airlines. “The strategic equity partnership in the launching of the new Chad national carrier is part of our Vision 2025 multiple hub strategy in Africa. The new Chad national carrier will serve as a strong hub in Central Africa availing domestic, regional and eventually international air connectivity to the major destinations in the Middle East, Europe and Asia,” Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Tewolde Gebremariam said. Ethiopian already has two JV carriers that are flying, Togolese airline ASKY in West Africa and Lilongwe-based Malawian Airlines in southern Africa.<br/>