Expand into the New Zealand and Australia markets！ China Airlines launches Taipei-Melbourne flights starting October 25

Reported by You T-Ru / Taipei

China Airlines is expanding its New Zealand and Australia services, launching Taipei–Melbourne flights from October 25, with extensions to Christchurch, New Zealand, operating as a seasonal scheduled service with three weekly flights to provide passengers with convenient options. Following its Sydney and Brisbane routes, China Airlines extends its passenger service network in Australia to the country’s second-largest city, further completing its New Zealand and Australia route map.


▲ Illustration of China Airlines. (Photo / Reporter Huang Kexiang)

From October 25, 2015, to March 26, 2016, China Airlines will add the Taipei–Melbourne–Christchurch route, operating every Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday under flight numbers CI057/CI058, using an A330-300 aircraft configured with 30 business class and 277 economy class seats. In addition, the Taipei–Sydney–Christchurch route will continue with three seasonal weekly flights, plus eight weekly flights via Sydney or Brisbane to Auckland. This brings China Airlines’ total weekly flights to Australia to 14, and to New Zealand to 14 via extensions.

China Airlines stated that it sees strong potential in the business and tourism markets of New Zealand and Australia. Since 2013, it has expanded its market presence. In December 2014, it added seasonal Taipei–Sydney–Christchurch flights. The Christchurch route showed strong demand, achieving an average passenger load factor of 90% during last year’s southern hemisphere summer season, prompting the extension of services through March 2015 due to positive passenger feedback. This year, China Airlines introduces the new Taipei–Melbourne–Christchurch route, complementing its Sydney services to offer Taiwan and the New Zealand-Australia region a denser air network.