A bipartisan group of lawmakers from the House Foreign Affairs Committee has urged the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to formally invite Taiwan to participate in its upcoming triennial assembly, in a letter calling the move “a matter of U.S. national interest.”
The Sept. 17 letter, led by committee chairman Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) and ranking member Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), told ICAO President Salvatore Sciacchitano that the U.N. agency “cannot fulfill its mandate while excluding Taiwan’s experience, perspective, and participation.”
The committee announced that it sent the letter to Sciacchitano in a press release on Sept. 19.
The lawmakers pointed out that Taiwan manages the Taipei Flight Information Region, one of about 300 worldwide, overseeing 18 international and four domestic routes. Additionally, Taiwan served as a hub for 90 airlines operating passenger and cargo flights on 285 routes, connecting the island with 117 cities around the world, according to the letter….