A new Airbus SAS A350-900 XWB delivered yesterday to China Airlines Ltd (CAL, 中華航空) is to be first used on flights to Hong Kong and Osaka, Japan, CAL chairman Ho Nuan-hsuan (何煖軒) said.
The carrier would start flying the aircraft to Amsterdam, Vienna and Rome from next year, Ho said during an aircraft delivery ceremony in Toulouse, France. Didier Evrard, head of programs at Airbus, was also in attendance.
CAL is the first Taiwanese carrier to procure an A350, lauded as the world’s latest-generation airliner and the newest member of the Airbus family.
The carrier is to have 13 more A350s delivered by the end of 2018.
The new airplanes could improve CAL’s performance, especially in Europe, Ho said.
Among the 1.22 million passengers traveling between Taiwan and Europe last year, CAL claimed a 21 percent market share, he added.
While nearly 60 percent of those passengers were making transit stops during their trips, the long-haul, medium-capacity A350-900s could contribute to more flexible flight operations, Ho said.
In addition, CAL flights to Amsterdam and Rome are to become nonstop next year at the earliest, thanks to the A350s, he said.
According to CAL, the A350-900 XWB is built using the most advanced production technology, and its high-end production materials have resulted in a lighter and safer aircraft.
In addition, the eco-friendly aircraft is expected to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 25 percent, which will help lower maintenance costs, the carrier said.
The first A350-900s, which are to carry the airline’s plum blossom logo on their tails, have a seating capacity of 306 — 32 in business class, 31 in premium economy and 243 in economy, it said.
Ho said CAL might team up with Airbus Group SE to establish an aircraft maintenance facility at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, tailored exclusively for the Airbus A350, making it the first A350 maintenance facility in Asia.
CAL operates a similar service near the airport, CAL Engineering and Maintenance Organization (中華航空公司機務組織), which provides services that include component, airframe and engine maintenance for several Airbus, Boeing Co and Embraer SA aircraft. Services for the A350 are not available from the company.
Ho said CAL is expected to receive a reply on the possible venture from Airbus by the end of this year, adding that the carrier also wants to get Taiwan-based Aerospace Industrial Development Corp (漢翔航空) involved in the deal, because the company is already part of the A350 supply chain.
Ho declined to comment on the capital estimated for the joint venture or the shareholding ratio for the three potential stakeholders.
Ho said the initiative has won the support of Taoyuan Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦), who promised to find CAL a proper space for the facility.
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