Flights from Hong Kong and Macau also not allowed to land, likely due to 'one China' principle
Taiwan News
Date: 2020/02/01
By: Sophia Yang, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — After Italy halted all direct flights from Taiwan on Friday (Jan. 31), Vietnam followed suit on Saturday (Feb. 1) as part of drastic measures to prevent transmission of the coronavirus 2019-nCoV.
Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Italy's decision was made under the misconception that Taiwan is part of China, as the same order also applies to flights from Hong Kong and Macau. Taiwan air carriers, including China Airlines and EVA Air, have both been affected.
According to a report by AFP, the Italian government said it was the first government of a European Union country to suspend all flights from China, but it did not mention Taiwan.
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