China Airlines yesterday said that it plans to increase flights to New York, London and Prague, and partner with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines on a codeshare route to Helsinki, Finland, next year.
At an investor conference, an airline spokesperson said the company remains optimistic about its outlook next year, as it tries to expand passenger services and strengthen cargo operations.
Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times
Global passenger demand is expected to grow 3 to 4 percent annually over the next decade, led by the Asian market, China Airlines chairman Kao Shing-hwang (高星潢) said.
Air traffic from Taiwan to and from the US has already increased by about 30 percent in recent years, reinforcing Taiwan's role as a regional transit hub, Kao said, adding that transfer traffic would remain a key focus next year.
China Airlines is to take delivery of five to seven Boeing 787s next year and continue introducing A321neo aircraft to enhance network flexibility, airline president Kevin Chen (陳漢銘) said.
The company is to launch flights to Phoenix, Arizona, on Dec. 3 with three weekly services, and next year, it plans to increase flights to New York based on market demand, Chen said.
For European routes, flights to London would soon be increased to five per week, while the Prague route is to be expanded to three weekly flights starting in April next year, Chen said.
As for Asia, the Chiang Mai route has already been increased to daily direct flights, and the Tokyo Narita route would be expanded from three weekly flights to one per day, he said.
The airline would also evaluate potential new destinations in North America and Northeast Asia, Chen added.
According to the airline, its planned codeshare with KLM is to result in Helsinki becoming a new European destination, with potential for direct service once market demand grows.
Eight Chinese naval vessels and 24 military aircraft were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6am yesterday and 6am today, the Ministry of National Defense said this morning. The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones, the ministry said. The armed forces responded with mission aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation, it added. Eight naval vessels, one official ship and 36 aircraft sorties were spotted in total, the ministry said.
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