The A350 will primarily be deployed on the airline's long-haul routes to Europe, Australia and the United States, enabling China Airlines to offer its passengers non-stop service on ultra-long routes. However, it will initially operate in local markets for crew familiarisation.
In a move that will boost capacity in all three markets, the A380s will replace Boeing 777-300ERs during the first half of next year. Emirates will use a two-class A380 on one of its three daily flights between Dubai and Birmingham (EK039/040), while three-class examples will be deployed on its routes from Dubai to Prague and Taipei from May 1, 2016.
The new business will operate from a base at Chubu Centrair International Airport in Aichi prefecture to Shin-Chitose Airport in Sapporo, Sendai Airport in Sendai as well as to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in Taipei. Alongside its previous experiences at the facility, AirAsia Group currently serves the airport with its AirAsia X long-haul business from Kuala Lumpur.
The airline made its debut in Taiwan in September 2012 and has already boosted its operations on the highly competitive route between Singapore and Taipei to ten times weekly. It currently competes with China Airlines, EVA Air, low-cost carriers Jetstar Asia, Tiger Airways and Tiger Airways Taiwan and complements the full service activities of its parent Singapore Airlines.
China Airlines will be the first member of the SkyTeam alliance to offer flights to New Zealand’s South Island and will enable various connection opportunities in Sydney to the services of other partners of the grouping.
The weekly service, operated by a two-class Boeing 767-300ER, represents the return of a link first served by Transaero in 2002 and served up until October 2004. This was originally flown from Domodedovo Airport in the Russian capital but is now being served every Wednesday from Vnukovo Airport.
