Supermarket chains launch mobile supermarkets to serve remote mountain districts

A Carrefour mobile supermarket in Wulai District, New Taipei City

April 4, 2020April 4, 2020 Phillip Charlier 1 Comment Carrefour, Chiayi County, mobile supermarket, PX-Mart, Wul

Two supermarket chains launched mobile supermarkets to serve remote mountain districts in the last few days, in what is seen as a positive move by residents in the rural areas. On March 30, Carrefour’s Tucheng branch dispatched a mobile supermarket truck to New Taipei City’s Wulai District. The mobile supermarket was set up in the fire brigade parking lot, providing fresh fruit and vegetables, baked goods, cooked meals, instant noodles, snacks, cleaning supplies, and other consumer goods and daily necessities.

Executive Yuan spokesperson Kolas Yotaka

Aviation

March 18, 2020March 18, 2020 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Aviation industry, china-airlines, COVID-19, Starlux Airlines

The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) has proposed an NT$30 billion bailout loan package for Taiwan’s six airlines, but the plan has not yet been approved by the premier, according to Executive Yuan Spokesperson Kolas Yotaka. A previous bailout package was approved to the tune of NT$4.8 billion, but MOTC Minister Lin Chia-lung indicated recently that the figure may be raised to NT$30 billion because the aviation industry requires capital turnover. Today’s announcement comes on the same day that

Business and Economy

March 12, 2020March 12, 2020 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Chen Chien-jen, COVID-19, popular delusions and the madness of crowds

Taiwan’s Vice President Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) called out World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on his unprofessional interpretation of data, after world health body claimed a 3.4% mortality rate from COVID-19. Vice-President Chen, a qualified epidemiologist, who helped steer Taiwan through the SARS crisis of 2003 while serving as Minister of Health, made the statement in an interview with Mirror Weekly. Tedros claimed in a speech at WHO on March 3 that, “Globally, about 3.4% of reported COVID-19

Aviation

March 3, 2020March 4, 2020 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment illegal immigration, stowaway, Taoyuan International Airport

An man who remains unidentified four months after being caught attempting to stowaway on a flight from Taiwan to Palau appeared in court today, but had only one thing to say to the judge. “Dear friend, Jesus is God,” the long-haired, bearded man declared to the judge in fluent Chinese. Other than that statement, and a “thank you,” also spoken in Chinese, “Man A,” as he was referred to during the hearing at the Taoyuan District Court, remained cooperative, but

Aviation

March 3, 2020March 3, 2020 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment china-airlines, COVID-19, EVA Air

Taiwan’s national carrier China Airlines appealed to its 10,000 employees to be considerate and cooperative as the company faces an “economic avalanche” worse than SARS or the 2009 financial crisis. China Airlines issued the statement in an open letter to employees yesterday, March 2, warning that if the company’s operating conditions continue to deteriorate due to the epidemic situation, further contingency plans will have to be made. The airline announced that 49% of flights in March have been cancelled, after

Google for Taiwan picture of the Executive Yuan

Business and Economy

February 8, 2020February 9, 2020 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment facebook, Taiwan, telecommunications

Google and Facebook are seeking permission from America’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to route data via undersea cables landing in Taiwan and the Philippines after attempts to activate links to Hong Kong and China faced security hurdles, according to a report in TechCrunch, February 7. In 2016, the two tech giants announced development of a new fiber-optic undersea cable network that would be the first direct undersea cable to connect Hong Kong and the USA. The 120 terabit-per-second Pacific Light

sign showing limit to one pack of toilet tissue per customer

Business and Economy

February 8, 2020February 8, 2020 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment crowd psychology, surgical masks, toilet paper, Wuhan coronavirus

Premier Su Tseng-chang, domestic tissue manufacturers, and supermarket executives rushed to reassure consumers that there were no impending toilet paper shortages as major supermarket chains reported signs of panic buying reminiscent of the toilet paper crisis of 2018, today, February 7. Costco began to restrict customers to purchasing one pack of certain brands of tissue after bulk-buying threatened to wipe shelves clean this morning . The panic buying is believed to have been sparked by messages on social media that

Aviation

December 23, 2019December 23, 2019 Phillip Charlier 2 Comments Airbus A321neo, Chang Kuo-wei, Starlux Airlines

Starlux Airlines took delivery of its second Airbus A321neo in Hamburg, Germany, December 19, and Chairman Chang Kuo-wei personally took the helm and flew it back to Taiwan, arriving at Taipei Taoyuan International Airport this morning, December 23. The aircraft, registered as B-58202, is the second of three A321s expected to start flying on three routes from January 23. Hands-on chairman Chang led a team to inspect the aircraft, seeing it through a test flight December 18 before taking delivery

Aviation

November 6, 2019November 6, 2019 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment aircraft emergency door, flight-safety, Kinmen Airport

Two flights experienced delays at Kinmen Airport in the last week, due to passengers opening the emergency doors, one before take-off, and one after landing. On October 31, a flight about to depart for Taichung International Airport had to abort after a 63-year-old woman named Chen opened the emergency door. Flight attendants had just given the pre-flight safety demonstration, including instructions on opening the emergency exits, when Ms Chen apparently decided to put the instructions to the test. Chen, who

police chase man who attempted to stowaway on China Airlines flight

Aviation

November 2, 2019November 8, 2019 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment china-airlines, stowaway, Taoyuan International Airport

A China Airlines flight was aborted on the runway after a man ran out of long grass and jumped onto the landing gear as the plane was about to take off this afternoon, November 2. At 1:35pm, flight CI028 from Taipei Taoyuan International Airport to Palau was preparing to take off when the pilot of an Asiana Airlines plane spotted a man running out of the grass and mounting the landing gear of the plane. The Asiana Airlines pilot immediately

Aviation

October 24, 2019October 24, 2019 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment bomb threat, Taoyuan International Airport

A flight from Taipei Taoyuan International Airport was delayed for four hours today after a passenger shouted that there was a bomb on the plane shortly before take off. The Hong Kong Airlines plane had taxied to the runway, and was scheduled to take off at 12:25pm when a woman suddenly stood up and shouted in Cantonese, “there’s a bomb on the plane…it’s not safe.” Cabin crew contacted the flight captain, who immediately informed the control tower that he was

Business and Economy

Supermarket chains launch mobile supermarkets to serve remote mountain districts

MOTC proposes NT$30 billion bailout fund, China Airlines issues NT$10 billion in bonds as aviation industry faces virus crisis

Taiwan Vice-President schools WHO Director-General on epidemic prevention and control

Unidentified foreigner who tried to stowaway on outbound flight appears in court

Airline warns employees of contingency plans as viral panic causes financial avalanche

Google and Facebook apply to route trans-Pacific data via Taiwan and Philippines amid China security concerns

Wuhan virus panic threatens to spark toilet paper crisis 2.0

Starlux takes delivery of second airliner: CEO flies it home

Kinmen Airport: two cases in 5 days of passengers opening aircraft emergency doors

Flight at Taoyuan Airport aborted after man spotted clinging to landing gear

Taipei to Hong Kong flight delayed after passenger shouts “bomb”