China Airlines Introduces New A350 “Urocissa caerulea” Liveried Aircraft on Taipei-Vancouver Route

China Airlines is introducing the new Airbus A350 aircraft on the Taipei-Vancouver route from August onwards. The latest addition means that all North American destinations including Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco will now be flown by new 777 or A350 aircraft, a new milestone for the NexGen strategy. China Airlines’ latest A350 liveried aircraft, the “Urocissa caerulea”, was also unveiled on August 1 for the flight to Vancouver, bringing the beauty of Taiwan to North America.

China Airlines began introducing its new long-haul fleet of NexGen 777 and A350 passenger aircraft in 2014. All ten 777 aircraft have now been delivered while all fourteen A350 aircraft is scheduled to be delivered in 2018. China Airlines Chairman Nuan-Hsuan Ho said that all European destinations including Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Vienna and Rome are now flown by NexGen aircraft. In North America, Vancouver joins Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco on the list of destinations served by A350 as well. The latest move means that the last piece of the puzzle in China Airlines’ grand plan to operate NexGen aircraft for all North American destinations is now finally in place.

“Urocissa caerulea” is China Airlines’ second A350 liveried aircraft as well as the 100th A350 to be delivered by Airbus. As the leading brand in the Taiwanese aviation industry, China Airlines has unveiled a number of liveried aircraft such as the “A350 Syrmaticus Mikado” and “Buddy Bears” to demonstrate its support for environmental protection. The liveried aircraft also serve to promote the culture of Taiwan around the world. The Taiwan Blue-Magpie (Urocissa caerulea) , an endemic species found only in Taiwan, once received the top vote in competition to select the nation bird. This unique of symbol of Taiwan now appears on the fuselage of China Airlines’ liveried aircraft along with Tung blossoms in bloom. It will henceforth serve as a flying ambassador of Taiwan to the world.

To improve the quality of service for jet-setting passengers, China Airlines will begin operating the A350 passenger aircraft on the Taipei-Honolulu route from October 29 this year, as well as the Taipei-London and Taipei-Sydney route from December 1 onwards. The London route will have 4 flights a week while the Sydney route will be increased to 2 flights a day. Code-sharing with SkyTeam and other partner airlines is also being used to improve the convenience of connecting flights. Travelers flying to Vancouver for example can continue on to Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Georgetown, Terrace and Victoria with Canada's Westjet. The 8 inland Canadian destinations with 55 flights a week will strengthen the China Airlines network making it more attractive to business travelers and tourists.

China Airlines’ new A350 passenger aircraft is configured for 306 seats. The three cabin classes are Premium Business (32 seats), Premium Economy (31 seats), and Economy (243 seats). The cultured ambiance rooted in Oriental aesthetics enhanced by youthful stylish elements as well as cabin mood lighting that simulate natural surroundings will make travelers feel at home the moment they step aboard. Awards received by the China Airlines A350 since its launch include Japan’s Good Design Award which is one of the top 4 international design awards, “Best Business Class Seating” from the renowned U.S. travel magazine Global Traveler, as well as “TheDesignAir Readers Poll Awards 2016” and the “TheDesignAir Awards 2016” from the international aviation design website TheDesignAir. These reflect the praise and support of the industry and passengers. (2017/08/02)