President Tsai Ing-Wen flew aboard the first nonstop Asia-Miami flight.
MIAMI – State and local leaders joined Miami-Dade Aviation Director (MDAD) Emilio T. Gonzalez to welcome the President of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Tsai Ing-wen to Miami International Airport on June 24. The arrival marked the first nonstop passenger trip from Asia to Miami – a 16.5-hour, 8,628-mile nonstop charter flight by China Airlines from Taipei. China Airlines used the Boeing B777-300ER, one of the few aircraft in the world capable of flying the ultra-long-haul trip from Taipei. President Tsai and her party made a stop in Miami before continuing the following day to the grand opening of the Panama Canal.
“Despite other U.S. airports already providing nonstop Taipei service, President Tsai chose to connect through MIA on her way to Panama,” said Director Gonzalez. “Her historic trip provides the latest example of the demand for nonstop service between MIA and Asia. As the busiest gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean, we continue to attract growing interest from a number of Asian carriers, and we look forward to securing scheduled service in the near future. I was able to discuss this opportunity with President Tsai during her visit, and she was supportive of our efforts.”
During the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Annual General Meeting in Dublin earlier this month, Director Gonzalez and a team of MIA officials met with high-level executives from 11 leading airlines, including Asian carriers All Nippon Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, China Airlines, Hainan Airlines and Hong Kong Airlines, to discuss starting or expanding air service to Miami. MIA was one of only a handful of airports in the world invited to attend IATA’s invitation-only event, which drew more than 1,000 delegates. Currently, Cathay Pacific Airways and China Airlines operate cargo-only flights at MIA. In fact, China Airlines celebrated its 19th anniversary of cargo service at MIA on June 26 – the day after President Tsai departed to Panama.
In late 2015, the Miami-Dade Aviation Department also gathered local community and business leaders to form the MIA Asia Task Force, to further support the marketing initiative for nonstop Asia service. Most recently, the Task Force conducted a travel survey with results from more than 100 local organizations. Among the key findings discovered in the survey: 86 local organizations generate more than $20 million in travel to Asia annually; a majority of the respondents conduct business activity in Asia and travel to Asia regularly; and most of the respondents would use nonstop service to Asia, regardless of the frequent flyer program.
Photo caption: Miami-Dade Aviation Director Emilio T. Gonzalez with Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen.
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