1)
One of the stories from this past week involved an Air Force pilot who was killed in a plane crash on Tuesday. The pilot was flying a trainer aircraft, which collided with another during a routine training mission in Kaohsiung.
The pilot Chuang Bei-yuan tried to parachute to safety but he ejected from the plane at too low an altitude because he was trying to avoid crashing into a residential area. The 37-year-old pilot sustained serious injuries after falling to the ground and later died in hospital.
The other plane managed to land safely at the Air Force Academy in Kaohsiung with minor damage.
The Air Force says it is looking into the cause of the accident.
2)
Also this past week, a group of 20 businesses have pledged to invest more than NT$30.5 billion (roughly US$1 billion) in the Taoyuan Aerotropolis project. The project is a major development planned for Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, which serves Taipei.
The businesses signed a letter of intent on Thursday at a meeting intended to drum up investment for the project.
The project is expected to ultimately attract about NT$500 billion (US$16 billion) in investments and create 300,000 jobs.
3)
And finally this past week, a rapid transit system connecting Taiwan’s main airport to the capital city of Taipei will become operational by the end of 2015.
Transportation minister Yeh Kuang-shih made the announcement on Saturday in a briefing for President Ma Ying-jeou.
The 53-kilometer line has been under construction since 2006 and is now undergoing tests.
Once completed, the line will shuttle passengers between Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and downtown Taipei in 35 minutes.