Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) Director-General Billy Chang and his Czech counterpart Jindrich Ploch signed the agreement and CAA officials said that although CAL currently operates cargo flights between Taipei and Prague, it has to apply separately for each individual flight.

With the signing of the formal agreement, the two sides agree to 14 passenger flights per week, with no limit on the number of cargo flights.

There will also be fifth freedom for both passenger and cargo flight services, meaning the right to take on passengers, mail and cargo destined for the territory of another agreeing nation and to put down passengers, mail and cargo coming from any such territory.

CAL is considering cooperating with a Czech air carrier in co-sharing flights in the initial stages, and if there are enough passengers, it might open a Taipei-Prague route via Bangkok. EVA Airways, lured by the extended traffic right, also said it is considering flying the Taipei-Prague route.

EVA Airways announced late last month that it had decided to cancel its Taipei-Paris passenger flight services from Nov. 23 due to increasing operational costs, and to begin cargo-only service on the route in January 2008.