TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Transportation Minister Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) said Tuesday (Oct. 25) the launch of passenger flights between Taiwan and Milan by EVA Airways showed the recovery of the airline industry had started.

On Oct. 13, Taiwan reopened its borders for visiting tourists including groups, while ending the mandatory three-day COVID-19 quarantine period for arriving travelers. Since then, several airlines have announced the resumption of flights on routes served before the pandemic.

Wang said he hoped that in 2024, air travel for Taiwan would return to the level reached in 2018. Before the pandemic, up to 11 million travelers visited Taiwan per year.

EVA Air on Tuesday added Italy’s financial and fashion capital to its European network, which already included London, Paris, Vienna, and Amsterdam. Two flights a week serve the route between Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and Milan, where a Taiwan trade center is based.

Munich, the capital of the state of Bavaria in southern Germany, will become the second European city to welcome EVA flights after the pandemic, beginning on Nov. 3, CNA reported.