China Airlines announces the establishment of "Tigerair Taiwan"  with Asia as its main route focus

Reported and photographed by You t
ru / Taoyuan

China Airlines has announced its entry into the low-cost airline (Budget Carrier / Low Cost Carrier) market. Today (16th), it held a press conference with Tigerair at the China Airlines campus in Taoyuan to announce the launch of "Tigerair Taiwan". China Airlines Chairman Sun Hung-hsiang stated that the collaboration between China Airlines and Tigerair was born under the right time, place, and people, and the new low-cost airline is expected to officially start operations in the fourth quarter of next year (2014).


▲China Airlines and Tigerair held a press conference today to announce the launch of Tigerair Taiwan.


▲China Airlines Chairman Sun Hung-hsiang (left) and Tigerair CEO Koay Peng Yen.

On the 54th anniversary of China Airlines, the company announced a joint venture with Singapore’s largest low-cost airline, Tigerair, to establish "Tigerair Taiwan" (Tigerair Taiwan). It is expected to begin operations by the end of 2014. Sun Hung-hsiang said that after 30 years of observing air transport operations, along with recent assessments, the timing is right to launch a low-cost airline. In addition, Taiwan is located at the center of Asia, making it ideal for short-haul flights—whether northbound to Northeast Asia, southbound to Southeast Asia, or extending to Hong Kong, Macau, or mainland China—with all flight durations not exceeding four hours.

As for why Tigerair was chosen as the partner instead of other speculated airlines such as Jetstar or AirAsia, Sun Hung-hsiang frankly stated that China Airlines had no prior experience in operating low-cost carriers, while Tigerair has extensive experience in running budget airlines, making it a valuable source of expertise. Moreover, Tigerair, not having partnered with any other airlines, became the top choice. Regarding why China Airlines did not opt to transform Mandarin Airlines instead, Sun explained that their operational models differ, describing the future relationship among China Airlines, Mandarin Airlines, and Tigerair Taiwan as “siblings climbing a mountain, each striving on their own.”


▲%The exterior of a Tigerair aircraft.



▲%Tigerair flight attendants and the aircraft cabin interior.


Tigerair was established in 2004 and is part of the Singapore Airlines group. Tigerair CEO Koay Peng Yen stated at the event that Tigerair will leverage China Airlines’ understanding of Taiwan to drive future innovation. They hope to encourage more Taiwanese to embrace low-cost air travel and grow the market together. Regarding potential overlapping routes with China Airlines in the future, Koay also mentioned that they will coordinate with China Airlines on routes, and cooperation will be based on mutual respect.

In its initial phase, Tigerair Taiwan will operate with two A320 aircraft stationed in Taiwan, using the country as its base. By 2017, the airline aims to have a fleet of over 12 planes, focusing on destinations in Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, Macau, and mainland China. Japanese routes are currently projected to have a higher coverage rate. Tigerair Taiwan is expected to begin operations in the fourth quarter of 2014.
China Airlines and Tigerair completed their joint venture agreement on December 15th. Tigerair Taiwan