China Airlines (CI, Taipei Taoyuan) has cancelled plans to operate a series of charter flights to Athens, Greece this summer after it failed to secure the requisite traffic rights on time.
The Focus Taiwan news agency says the carrier, along with the Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, applied to Greece's civil aviation authority and Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the necessary landing rights as far back as March this year. However, despite an initial positive response to the application, no firm answer has since been heard from Athens. As such, given the coming launch deadline of June 3, China Airlines decided last week to cancel the flights.
Operating in conjunction with six Taiwanese travel agencies, China Airlines had planned to operate a total of eighteen return flights over the period June 3 to October 7. Over 1,000 tickets were reportedly sold.
