Will cross-strait flights hit new lows? Mainland budget airlines to launch in Taiwan next month

Travel Center / Taipei Report

Business travelers across the strait will soon have more options. Mainland budget carriers Spring Airlines and Juneyao Air are expected to launch additional flights between Kaohsiung and Shanghai Pudong in September. While inaugural promotional fares have not been announced, the airlines have previously offered ultra-low prices such as 99 RMB on domestic routes, which is something to look forward to.


▲ China’s budget airline Spring Airlines. (Photo / from Spring Airlines’ official Facebook page)

This marks the first time mainland budget airlines have entered the Taiwanese market. Spring Airlines is currently the only budget carrier in China. According to its official website, the airline was established in July 2005 and currently operates over 50 domestic routes within China. In 2010, it began offering services to Japan and Hong Kong, with business economy class seats available on its flights. Juneyao Air, on the other hand, has the youngest fleet among Chinese airlines, with an average aircraft age of just 2.5 years.

It is understood that Spring Airlines and Juneyao Air offer ticket prices on their domestic routes in China that are approximately 30–40% lower than the market average. During off-peak periods, they also launch promotional fares with discounts ranging from 10% to 30%, with the lowest fare ever being just 99 RMB. The average passenger load factor reaches as high as 80–90%. It is reported that cross-strait civil aviation authorities have approved direct flights between Shanghai Pudong–Kaohsiung and Shanghai Pudong–Taoyuan for both airlines. For Kaohsiung, each airline is expected to operate three weekly flights, and there may also be charter flights to places such as Chiayi and Hualien.