Alexa
  • Directory of Taiwan

Taiwan's China Airlines opens direct flight from Taipei to Ontario, CA

Taiwan hopes to be the first Asia-Pacific country to enter U.S. Border Preclearance Program

  3790
China Airlines opens a new flight path and discusses U.S. Border Preclearance options.

China Airlines opens a new flight path and discusses U.S. Border Preclearance options. (Wikimedia Commons photo)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Not only will China Airlines open a flight path between Taipei (TPE) and Ontario, California (ONT) on March 25, but the addition of yet another direct flight between the two countries has propelled negotiations forward to establish Taipei as a U.S. Border Preclearance location.

China Airlines will offer four flights a week between Taipei and Ontario on Boeing 777-300 aircraft. Also on March 25, China Airlines will remove two of their flights between Taipei and Los Angeles (LAX).

Further, U.S. officials are moving forward with preliminary plans to establish the first U.S. Border Preclearance location of the Asia-Pacific region to be located in Taipei, according to LTN.

Preclearance means that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) station CBP law enforcement personnel in overseas airports to inspect travelers prior to boarding U.S.-bound flights.

Currently there are 15 Preclearance locations around the world. In 2016, the CBP precleared 18 million travelers, or 15% of commercial air travelers to the U.S.

China Airlines Chairman of the Board Ho Nuan-hsuan (何煖軒) thanked California House of Representatives member Ed Royce, the Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Transportation, Executive Yuan, and the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) for their cooperation to make this happen. Chairman Ho recognized that not only would the Preclearance program in Taiwan save China Airlines passengers time when traveling to the U.S. but passengers from all countries and other airlines as well.

Royce will travel to Taiwan on March 25 to visit the Tsai administration and preside over the China Airlines ceremony celebrating their new route to Ontario.

Taiwan formally entered into the U.S. Visa Waiver Program (VWP) in 2012 and the Global Entry program in 2017.