China Airlines facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
China Airlines
中華航空

Founded	September 7, 1959; 65 years ago (1959-09-07)
Commenced operations	December 16, 1959; 65 years ago (1959-12-16)
Hubs	Taipei–Taoyuan
Focus cities	Hong Kong Kaohsiung Taipei–Songshan
Frequent-flyer program	Dynasty Flyer
Alliance	SkyTeam
Subsidiaries	China Airlines Cargo Mandarin Airlines Tigerair Taiwan
Fleet size	83
Destinations	102
Parent company	China Airlines Group
Headquarters	CAL Park, Dayuan District, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
Key people	Hsieh Shih-chen (Chairman)
Revenue	TWD 139.815 billion (2017)
Operating income	TWD 3.088 billion (2017)
Net income	TWD 2.208 billion (2017)
Total assets	TWD 228.421 billion (2017)
Total equity	TWD 54.709 billion (2017)
Employees	11,400

China Airlines (often called CAL) is a big airline from Taiwan. It's owned by the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan). It's one of the two main airlines in Taiwan, along with EVA Air.

China Airlines is based at Taoyuan International Airport and flies to over 100 cities around the world every week. This includes places in Asia, Europe, North America, and Oceania. In 2017, the airline carried almost 20 million passengers and a lot of cargo. It was one of the largest airlines globally for carrying both people and goods.

China Airlines is part of the China Airlines Group. This group also includes China Airlines Cargo, which flies cargo planes. Other airlines in the group are Mandarin Airlines, which handles flights to smaller places, and Tigerair Taiwan, a budget airline.

History of China Airlines

Starting Out (1959–1970)

China Airlines began on December 16, 1959. It started with just two small planes called PBY Amphibians. The government of Taiwan owned all of its shares.

At first, the airline mostly flew special charter flights. But in the 1960s, China Airlines started its first regular flights. In 1962, it had its first domestic flight from Taipei to Hualien. Soon after, it began flying to other countries like South Vietnam, Hong Kong, and Japan.

In 1970, China Airlines got its first Boeing 707 planes. This allowed them to start flying across the Pacific Ocean to San Francisco, with a stop in Tokyo. This helped them expand their flights across Asia and North America.

Growing Around the World (1970–1995)

In 1976, China Airlines started using the large Boeing 747 planes, which were great for long flights. They used these planes for popular routes like Hong Kong-Taipei-Tokyo-Honolulu-Los Angeles. In 1977, they added special 747SP planes. These planes could fly nonstop from Taipei to North America, without needing to stop in Japan. This also helped them start flights to places like Saudi Arabia and South Africa.

In 1979, the airline moved all its flights from the smaller Taipei Songshan Airport to the new Taoyuan International Airport. Later, with more 747 planes, China Airlines began flying to its first European city, Amsterdam.

The airline continued to grow over the next 20 years. They even started a "round-the-world" flight that went from Taipei to New York, Amsterdam, Dubai, and back to Taipei.

In 1990, China Airlines received its first Boeing 747-400 planes. They also ordered Airbus A300 planes. These new aircraft helped the airline add even more destinations. During the 1990s, China Airlines also started using McDonnell Douglas MD-11 planes. They also created Mandarin Airlines to help with certain flight routes.

New Look and Safety Changes (1995–2010)

An MD-11 plane with the new plum blossom design at Taoyuan International Airport in 2001.

As Taiwan's main airline, China Airlines sometimes faced challenges because of Taiwan's unique political situation. To help with this, China Airlines changed its logo and the design on its planes in 1995. They replaced the old national flag on the tail with a beautiful "plum blossom" flower. The plum blossom is Taiwan's national flower. This new look helped the airline fly to more countries without causing confusion.

In the 1990s, China Airlines worked hard to improve its safety. They changed how they hired pilots and how they maintained their planes. These changes made the airline much safer, and it was recognized for its improved safety record.

During this time, China Airlines ordered more new planes, including the Airbus A330, Airbus A340, and Boeing 737-800.

In 2003, China Airlines made history by being the first Taiwanese airline to legally land in mainland China. This was for special holiday flights. Later, in 2009, regular flights between Taiwan and mainland China finally began.

On September 28, 2011, China Airlines joined SkyTeam, a big group of airlines that work together. This was a major step for the airline, and they updated their logo and name font to celebrate.

Modern Era (2010–Present)

Since 2012, China Airlines has been helping with a project to measure greenhouse gases in the air. They put special equipment on some of their planes to collect data during flights.

In 2013, China Airlines started a new budget airline called Tigerair Taiwan with a Singaporean company. Tigerair Taiwan became the first budget airline from Taiwan. China Airlines Group now fully owns Tigerair Taiwan.

In 2014, China Airlines launched its "NexGen" (Next Generation) plan. This plan was all about making the airline more modern and exciting. It included new cabin designs for planes, new uniforms for staff, and replacing older aircraft with new ones like the Boeing 777-300ER and Airbus A350-900. They also stopped offering First Class service in 2016, selling those seats as Business Class instead.

The NexGen plan also involves ordering more new planes. In 2019, they announced plans to get Airbus A321neo planes to replace their Boeing 737-800s, and Boeing 777F cargo planes to replace their Boeing 747-400Fs.

China Airlines has also been working on aircraft maintenance. In 2015, they started a company called Taiwan Aircraft Maintenance & Engineering Co. (TAMECO) to fix and maintain planes.

In 2020, there was a discussion about changing the name of China Airlines to avoid confusion with Air China, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The government suggested highlighting "Taiwan" more on the planes.

Headquarters

CAL Park, the main office building for China Airlines.

China Airlines' main office, called CAL Park, is located at Taoyuan International Airport. This building is right at the airport entrance, close to the passenger terminals.

Before CAL Park was built, China Airlines had offices in different places, including Taipei Songshan Airport. Now, most of their main operations are in CAL Park. They still have a branch office in downtown Taipei.

Branding and Look

Plane Designs and Uniforms

Before 1995, China Airlines planes had the flag of Taiwan on their tails. This was a common practice for companies from Taiwan. However, to make it easier to fly to more countries, China Airlines changed its plane design to feature a "plum blossom" flower. This flower is the national flower of Taiwan.

In 2011, when China Airlines joined the SkyTeam airline group, they updated their plum blossom logo and the way "China Airlines" was written on their planes.

China Airlines has had many different uniforms for its staff over the years. The current uniforms were designed by William Chang and were introduced in 2015 as part of the "NexGen" plan to give the airline a fresh, modern look.

Marketing Slogans

China Airlines has used different slogans to describe itself.

• We treasure every encounter (1987–1995)
• We blossom everyday (1995–2006)
• Journey with a caring smile (2006)
• “Expect The Coming Greatness” (around 2016)

Special Plane Designs

China Airlines loves to put special designs on some of its planes! These are called "special liveries."

The first special design, "Taiwan Touch Your Heart," was for promoting tourism in 2003.

Here are some cool special designs:

• Co-branded Planes: Some planes have designs that combine China Airlines' look with the logos of plane makers like Boeing or Airbus.

* B-18007 (Boeing 777-300ER) – The world's first Boeing 777 with a co-branded design. * B-18918 (Airbus A350-900) – The first Airbus A350 in the world with an Airbus co-branded design.

• "Flying Ambassador of Taiwan” Series: In 2016, China Airlines decided to name its Airbus A350-900 planes after special birds and features of Taiwan.

* B-18901 (Airbus A350-900) – Named and decorated like the Mikado pheasant. * B-18908 (Airbus A350-900) – Named and decorated like the Taiwan blue magpie.

• SkyTeam Alliance Design: China Airlines has planes painted with the SkyTeam alliance logo to show they are part of that group.

* B-18311 (Airbus A330-300)

• Pokémon Jet: China Airlines has a special Airbus A321neo called "Pikachu Jet CI" as part of "Pokémon Air Adventures." It features Pikachu and other Pokémon characters!

* B-18101 (Airbus A321neo) – Features Pikachu, Shaymin, Swablu, Togekiss, Munna, Jigglypuff, Snorlax, Slowpoke and Teddiursa.

China Airlines has also had other special designs in the past for anniversaries or to promote Taiwanese culture.

Images for kids

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  "Blue Whale" 747 B-18210 in the hangars

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  Skyteam 747-400 B-18211 landing at Tokyo Narita Airport

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  "Taiwan Blue Magpie" A350 B-18908 close-up

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  Skyteam A330 B-18311 taking off from Bangkok

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  "Welcome To Taiwan" A330 B-18355 close-up

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  "Carbon Fibre" A350 B-18918 taking off at Hong Kong International Airport

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  "The Original" B-18851 Airbus A340

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  China Airlines Airbus A300-B4.

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  China Airlines Airbus A300-600R.

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  China Airlines Airbus A330-300 with Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines (leased from Virgin Atlantic).

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  China Airlines Airbus A340-300.

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  China Airlines Boeing 707.

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  China Airlines Boeing 747-200 SF.

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  China Airlines Boeing 747SP.

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  China Airlines Boeing 767-200.

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  China Airlines Boeing 747 400

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  China Airlines MD-11

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  China Airlines Boeing 737-800

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  China Airlines Boeing 747-400F

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  China Airlines Cargo Boeing 747-400F leaving Anchorage

Where China Airlines Flies

China Airlines destinations (June 2023)      Taiwan      Passenger and cargo      Passenger only      Cargo only

China Airlines flies over 1,400 flights every week to 178 airports in 29 countries! Japan is a very important country for them, with over 180 flights each week to 14 different Japanese cities.

The main base for China Airlines is Taoyuan International Airport, which is the biggest airport in Taiwan. China Airlines uses both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 there. Flights to Europe, India, Korea, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia usually leave from Terminal 1. Flights to China, Japan, North America, and Oceania leave from Terminal 2.

China Airlines and its sister airline, Mandarin Airlines, also fly many flights from Kaohsiung International Airport and Taipei Songshan Airport. Flights from Songshan Airport to other city airports in Northeast Asia (like Tokyo–Haneda, Seoul–Gimpo, and Shanghai–Hongqiao) are very important for the airline. They call this the Northeast Asia Golden Flight Circle.

For a long time, China Airlines couldn't fly directly to mainland China. But in 2003, they made history with a special flight from Taipei to Shanghai. This was the first time a Taiwanese airline legally landed in mainland China since the civil war. Regular flights between Taiwan and mainland China started in 2009. Now, China is the second-largest market for China Airlines, with over 130 flights to 33 cities.

In September 2022, China Airlines announced they would start flying to Bali again, which is a popular tourist spot in Indonesia.

Future Plans for Routes

China Airlines planes lined up at Taoyuan International Airport in 2016.

From 2011 to 2015, China Airlines worked on making its flights within Asia stronger. From 2015 to 2020, they focused on expanding their flights to Europe, North America, and Oceania using new long-haul planes.

They now have nonstop flights to Europe. In 2017, they started four flights a week to London Gatwick Airport. Later, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, these flights moved to Heathrow Airport and will stay there. Since China Airlines can't fly directly to Paris, they work with their partner airline, Air France, to offer flights there. China Airlines sells 40% of the seats on these flights. In July 2023, they started flying to Prague twice a week.

In America, daily flights started between Taipei and Ontario International Airport near Los Angeles in March 2018. China Airlines is also interested in flying to other European cities like Barcelona, Madrid, and Warsaw. In North America, they are looking at cities like Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Seattle, Montréal, and Toronto.

For flights within Asia, China Airlines is adding more flights to Southeast Asia.

Sharing Flights with Other Airlines

China Airlines has agreements to "codeshare" flights with many other airlines. This means you can buy a ticket from China Airlines, but you might fly on a plane operated by one of their partner airlines. This helps them offer more destinations to their customers.

Here are some of the airlines they codeshare with:

China Airlines also works with Deutsche Bahn (DB), which is a train company in Germany. This allows passengers to connect from their flights to train routes in Germany.

China Airlines' Planes

Planes They Use Now

As of 30 April  2024 (2024 -04-30)^[update], China Airlines uses these types of planes:

Old Planes They Used to Fly

China Airlines has used many different types of planes since it started. Here are some of the planes they have retired:

Future Plane Plans

China Airlines Airbus A350-900 with a special Mikado pheasant design.

In 2019, China Airlines announced that they will get new Airbus A321neo planes to replace their Boeing 737-800 fleet. They will receive 25 of these planes starting in 2021.

China Airlines is also thinking about ordering more Airbus A350 planes. They will decide based on how well the current A350s perform on long flights to Europe.

For their Airbus A330-300 planes, China Airlines decided in 2022 to order Boeing 787-9 planes to replace them. These new planes will arrive between 2025 and 2028.

Retiring Old Planes

In 2017, China Airlines finished retiring all of its Airbus A340-300 planes and most of its older Boeing 747-400 planes. The last of the passenger Boeing 747-400 fleet was retired in March 2021. These retired planes are either stored or sold.

Cargo Plane Plans

China Airlines Cargo, which is the part of the airline that carries goods, has a fleet of 21 cargo planes. They fly to 33 cities in Asia, Europe, and North America. They also use the cargo space on the passenger planes.

In 2019, China Airlines decided to order new Boeing 777F cargo planes. These will slowly replace some of their Boeing 747-400F cargo planes. In 2022, they ordered 4 more 777F aircraft. They are also looking at other new cargo planes like the Airbus A350F and Boeing 777-8F to replace the rest of their older 747-400F fleet.

Services for Travelers

Dynasty Flyer Program

Dynasty Flyer is China Airlines' special program for frequent travelers. It has different levels: Gold, Emerald, and Paragon. The more you fly, the higher your level! Higher levels give you cool benefits like access to special lounges, more baggage allowance, and upgrades to better seats.

Greater China Connection

In 2013, China Airlines and other SkyTeam airlines like China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, and XiamenAir started something called "Greater China Connection." This means that if you fly with any of these four airlines, you can enjoy similar benefits and easily change your flight to another partner airline if needed.

Dynasty Lounges

The Exclusive Area in the Taipei Taoyuan Terminal 1 Lounge.

The Business Class Area in the Taipei Taoyuan Terminal 1 Lounge.

China Airlines has special waiting areas at airports called "Dynasty Lounges." There are 9 of these lounges at 7 different airports. If you are flying Business Class or are a Gold, Emerald, or Paragon member of the Dynasty Flyer program, you can use these lounges.

The lounges usually offer meals, drinks, free Wi-Fi, computers, TVs, and showers. Some newer lounges, like the one at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Terminal 1, even have sleeping areas and tea bars!

You can find Dynasty Lounges in these cities:

• Taipei Taoyuan International Terminal 1
• Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Terminal 2 (two locations)
• Kaohsiung International Airport
• Kuala Lumpur International Airport
• Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport
• Tokyo Narita International Airport Terminal 2
• Honolulu International Airport
• San Francisco International Airport

At Hong Kong International Airport, China Airlines uses the SkyTeam alliance lounge, which is a shared lounge for airlines in the SkyTeam group.

Bus Services in the United States

In some cities in the United States, China Airlines offers private bus services. These buses take customers between certain locations and the airport. For example, in the Greater New York area, buses go to John F. Kennedy International Airport from different towns in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. In Los Angeles, buses connect Los Angeles International Airport with areas like Monterey Park and Rowland Heights.

Other Companies in the China Airlines Group

Mandarin Airlines E190 plane.

Tigerair Taiwan Airbus A320 plane.

China Airlines is part of a larger group of companies. These companies do different things related to air travel, like handling planes on the ground, engineering, and providing food for flights.

In 2022, China Airlines opened a big plane maintenance facility at Taoyuan International Airport with a partner company called Nordam.

Here are some of the companies that are part of the China Airlines Group:

See also

In Spanish: China Airlines para niños

• List of airlines of Taiwan
• List of companies of Taiwan
• List of airports in Taiwan
• Transportation in Taiwan
• Air transport in Taiwan