Tigerair Taiwan’s First New A320 Aircraft Arrives at Taoyuan Airport in the Early Morning

▲ Tigerair Taiwan’s first new Airbus A320 aircraft arrived at Taoyuan Airport in the early morning of August 31st. The airline plans to add a design representing Taiwan on the fuselage. (Photo / Screen capture fromTigerair Taiwan’s official fan page)

Reported by Chen Shichang / Comprehensive report

The first aircraft ofTigerair Taiwan (Tigerair Taiwan), a subsidiary invested in by China Airlines, arrived at Taoyuan Airport this (31st) morning, and is scheduled to be officially unveiled to the public on September 1st. According to the plan submitted by Tigerair Taiwan to the Ministry of Transportation, its maiden flight to Singapore is set for September 26th, making it the first locally based low-cost carrier in Taiwan.

The launch of Taiwan’s first homegrown low-cost carrier signifies an upgrade in affordable, short-haul transit services tailored to Taiwanese travelers’ needs, offering more diverse flight options and bringing significant convenience to the growing trends of independent travel, backpacking, and transit-style tourism.

▲ Tigerair Taiwan’s first new Airbus A320 aircraft arrived at Taoyuan Airport in the early morning of August 31st. The airline plans to add a design representing Taiwan on the fuselage. (Photo / Screen capture fromTigerair Taiwan’s official fan page)

Tigerair Taiwan has purchased a total of 12 A320 aircraft. The first one departed from Airbus’s production base in Toulouse, France, on the 29th, and the newly delivered aircraft with registration number B-50001 landed at Taoyuan Airport at 05:48 on the 31st. Tigerair Taiwan has arranged a press conference on September 1st to officially announce details regarding booking, ticket purchasing, fares, checked baggage, in-flight meals, and other service information.

According to senior executives at China Airlines, besides Singapore, Macau is also one of the preferred destinations for Tigerair Taiwan. Launching a Macau route through Tigerair Taiwan would allow flexible coordination with China Airlines’ Hong Kong routes, making it the optimal pairing.

▲ The joint venture signing ceremony between China Airlines and Tigerair on December 15, 2013. From left: China Airlines General Manager Lin Peng-liang, China Airlines Chairman Sun Hong-xiang, Tigerair CEO Koay Peng Yen, and Tigerair COO Ho Yoon Sang. (Photo / China Airlines)

China Airlines announced its entry into the low-cost carrier (Budget Carrier / Low Cost Carrier) market on December 16 of last year. China Airlines partnered with Tigerair, Singapore’s largest low-cost airline, to establish “Tigerair Taiwan” (Tigerair Taiwan). Despite just nine months of preparation, the airline launched remarkably efficiently.

Tigerair was founded in 2004 and is part of the Singapore Airlines Group, serving as the leading low-cost carrier in Singapore. Tigerair Taiwan has a registered capital of NT$2 billion, with China Airlines Group holding 90% and Tigerair holding 10%. Based in Taiwan, Tigerair Taiwan will operate an extensive network covering major destinations in Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Macau, as well as cross-strait routes.