Will Kaohsiung and Kumamoto have direct flights? Chen Chu: Earliest in July

Reported by You T-Ru / Comprehensive Report

Ishihara Ikuo, Governor of Kumamoto Prefecture in Japan, led a delegation to visit the Kaohsiung City Government today (25th) to push for the launch of regular direct flights. He received a warm welcome from Mayor Chen Chu. Chen Chu stated that Kaohsiung and Japan share a friendly and close relationship, with frequent exchanges between the two sides. She promised on the spot to coordinate with airlines to facilitate direct flights between the two cities as soon as possible, and also welcomed Taiwanese people to visit Kumamoto to experience the beauty of its ancient city.


▲ Governor Ishihara Ikuo of Kumamoto Prefecture led a delegation to meet with Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu today (photo provided by the Kaohsiung City Government).

Chen Chu said that Taiwan and Japan have frequent interactions and a deep relationship, with nearly 3 million Taiwanese visiting Japan for tourism each year. Kumamoto is a city that is both traditional and progressive, boasting rich tourism resources, and has very good interactions with Kaohsiung. Last year, in addition to leading a delegation to participate in the Asia-Pacific City Summit, the three parties—Kaohsiung, Kumamoto Prefecture, and Kumamoto City—also signed a memorandum of international exchange, committing to cooperation and development in various fields. They hope to enhance exchanges in tourism, industry, education, and more, further deepening their friendship.

To accelerate the launch of regular direct flights with Kumamoto, Chen Chu promised to mediate and coordinate with China Airlines, and hopes that the Kumamoto side can overcome technical issues related to the airport’s nighttime curfew for takeoffs and landings. She also welcomes Taiwanese people to visit Kumamoto to further strengthen mutual goodwill. Tourism Bureau Director Hsu Chuan-sheng stated that in the first half of the year, China Airlines plans to deploy two additional planes in Kaohsiung, and direct flights between Kaohsiung and Kumamoto could be successfully launched as early as July, boosting tourism development in both areas.

Governor Ishihara pointed out that since last year, there have been as many as 115 chartered flights between Kaohsiung and Kumamoto, with many flights even fully booked. The citizens of Kumamoto Prefecture have also given high praise to travel itineraries to Kaohsiung. Originally scheduled to arrive in Kaohsiung by chartered flight, they had to depart from Fukuoka due to full flights, which shows the close ties between the two places. He has visited Kaohsiung multiple times with Kumamoto’s mascot, Kumamon the cute bear, and deeply felt the hospitality of the people of Kaohsiung. He looks forward to the early launch of direct flights between the two sides to expand the tourism market.