EVA Airways yesterday said it is launching code-share flight services to Mumbai with Air India on Thursday.
The partnership between the two airlines — both members of the Star Alliance — would see EVA fly passengers from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to Bangkok or Singapore, while Air India would carry passengers for the remainder of the journey from Bangkok or Singapore to Mumbai.
Travelers taking the code-share flights would have their luggage checked in all the way to Mumbai, EVA said.
Mumbai is an economic hub and base for Bollywood, and the code-share flight could attract Indians to visit Taiwan, EVA said.
EVA currently offers 24 flights to Bangkok and 14 to Singapore a week.
Its main rival, China Airlines (CAL), also offers direct flights to New Delhi.
In related news, CAL announced that it is expanding its code-share flights with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines in January, allowing passengers to travel nonstop from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to Amsterdam and transfer to other European destinations.
At present, CAL passengers heading to Amsterdam have to stop over in Bangkok. Starting next month, the airline will have four direct flights to Amsterdam per week, with total travel time being reduced to 14 hours.
The expanded code-share flights with KLM are scheduled to begin on Jan. 9, allowing CAL to provide one direct flight to Amsterdam daily.
From Amsterdam, passengers can board transfer flights offered by KLM to London and Manchester in England; Barcelona and Madrid in Spain; and Paris, CAL said.
CAL is deploying its recently acquired Airbus 350 aircraft for the nonstop flights to Amsterdam.
In addition to Amsterdam, CAL will offer direct flights to Vienna, Rome and Frankfurt, Germany, next month. Aside from Amsterdam, CAL passengers can also fly to Frankfurt and transfer to Prague and Madrid via the airline’s partnerships with Czech Airlines and Air Europa Lineas Aereas.
Taiwan’s only budget airline, Tigerair Taiwan (台灣虎航), which is affiliated with CAL, also announced that it would launch a new flight service from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to Busan, South Korea, on Jan. 19.
The announcement came about six months after the low-cost carrier launched its pilot flight to Daegu, South Korea, on May 5.
Busan has many attractions that draw both local and foreign tourists, including Haeundae beach, an 80m undersea tunnel at the Sea Life Busan Aquarium, the world’s largest shopping center and a stunning nightscape over Diamond Bridge, Tigerair said.
Travelers can choose to enter through Busan and depart from Daegu, or vice versa, it said.
Three flights will be offered per week in the initial stage of operations, which would leave on Monday, Thursday and Sunday, the company said.
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