Airline News
EVA Air demands compensation from Taoyuan Airport for aircraft damage
November 20th 2015
EVA Airways has blamed Taiwan’s Taoyuan International Airport for damage to the tail section of one of its latest A321 aircraft on October 31, saying pieces of asphalt were flying off the runway during take-off to Taiyuan, Channel News Asia has reported. Read More »
The broken tarmac at Taoyuan posed a serious safety threat, said EVA chairman Chang Kuo-wei, adding the airport was trying to downplay the incident. Chang said the affected aircraft was unable to perform the return flight to Taipei, forcing the carrier to send another plane to pick up some 100 passengers booked on the return flight. The damage may cost EVA up to NT$10 million ($306,000), the chairman said, demanding Taoyuan Airport foot the bill.
Chang, who was in Seattle to take delivery of EVA's 22nd B777-300ER, the first sporting its refreshed livery, said the runway maintenance situation was "unbelievable" and should not be tolerated.
In response, the airport said it was investigating the cause of the damage to the EVA aircraft, and will take responsibility if it was found to be at fault, adding it would consult with Singapore and Hong Kong on the use of ground radar to automatically monitor runway conditions around the clock.
In other Taiwan aviation news, China Airlines has confirmed it would take delivery of the first of 14-on-order A350-900s in July, “to replace the A340-300s on routes to Europe”.
