China Airlines (CAL) have announced that they are leasing three new B737-800 from the International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC). The agreement coincides with the carrier’s plan to lease ten B737-800 aircraft by 2016, according to the airline’s pressroom official. This first batch are scheduled to arrive in the second quarter of 2013.
According to CAL, the lease arrangement is closely related to the carrier’s expansion plan on regional routes. CAL currently owns the biggest market share for cross-strait flights between Mainland China and Taiwan, with 25 destinations in 24 cities in China. Leasing more aircraft will enable the opening up of the markets in second and third-tier cities in China. The open skies agreement between Taiwan and Japan also supports the airline’s regional expansion, as it removed restrictions on flight destinations and the number of flights (see story here).
CAL chose to lease the narrow-bodied B737-800 as the carrier currently owns ten of the same model, and the airline believes that operation will be more convenient with common aircraft types, a CAL official said. B737-800 has eight seats for business class and 150 for economy: to view a seat plan, click here.
For more information, visit www.china-airlines.com/en.
Michelle Fong
