Flight routes previously operated by TransAsia Airways, which disbanded in November last year due to financial woes, have been reassigned to other Taiwanese airlines, the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) said yesterday.
China Airlines (CAL), EVA Airways (EVA Air), Mandarin Airlines, UNI Air, Far Eastern Air Transport and Tiger Taiwan will operate the routes left by TransAsia starting Feb. 16, the CAA said, adding that carriers that obtain the more lucrative cross-strait routes will also have to shoulder less profitable routes.
Under the reassignment, Mandarin took over the Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) to Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, China, route, while UNI Air obtained the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and Shanghai Pudong International Airport, China.
As a result, the unprofitable Taichung Airport to Hualien Airport and Songshan airport to Hualien Airport routes were reassigned to Mandarin and UNI Air, respectively, the CAA said.
In addition, UNI Air got the Kinmen Airport to Penghu Airport route, which was operated by TransAsia on a charter basis.
Other routes between Taipei, Kaohsiung and outlying Kinmen and Penghu islands will be operated jointly by Mandarin, UNI Air and Far Eastern, it said.
The parent companies of Mandarin and UNI Air — CAL and EVA Air — took over the Taichung Airport to Pudong airport and Songshan airport to Pudong airport routes, respectively.
Far Eastern will fly the route between Songshan airport to Fuzhou Changle International Airport, China, while budget carrier Tiger Taiwan will operate the route between Taoyuan and Sunan Shuofang International Airport, China.
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