Taiwanese carrier China Airlines has added four mainland destinations to its network, tapping into destinations that have previously been underserved by international airlines.
The new routes include Changchun, Hefei, and Yantai, with flights to Xuzhou starting later this month, from the carrier’s Taipei Taoyuan base.
This expansion into a market previously dominated by domestic carriers will give Chinese travellers greater access to the Taiwan, plus more options to Taiwanese travellers wanting to visit the mainland.
China Airlines has deployed the large Airbus A330-300 on routes to Heifi twice weekly (on Wednesday and Sunday). The aircraft carries 307 passengers in total, with 36 business class seats, and 271 seats in economy.
The service to Hefei means China Airlines will be competing with fellow Taiwan carriers, Trans Asia Airways and Far Eastern Air Transport, as well as Air Macau – the only other international carrier to serve the city.
New services to Changchun (three times a week) and Yantai (twice weekly) will be operated by the Boeing 737-800, which offers eight seats in business and 150 in economy.
Prior to the launch of these new routes, the only international carrier to serve both of these cities was Asiana Airlines from Seoul-Incheon.
China Airlines will also launch a new service to Xuzhou, starting on July 14. Flights will depart every Monday, Wednesday and Friday – also with the B737-800. No other international airline serves Xuzhou giving China Airlines a monopoly on international travel from this city.
The Taiwanese flag carrier has also increased the number of flights for its Taoyuan–Wenzhou services, plus Kaohsiung–Nanchang and Koahsiung–Lijiang. Flights to both Wenzhou and Nanchang have increased from three to five per week, while Lijiang will see an increase from four to seven weekly.
For more information, visit china-airlines.com
Clement Huang