Tigerair Taiwan teams up with South Korea’s T’way Air as first foreign airline to share flight codes

Tigerair Taiwan Chairman Chang Hung-chung (right) hugs T’way Air President Chung Hong-geun, symbolizing friendship. (Photo by Wang Sihui)

Tigerair Taiwan Chairman Chang Hung-chung (right) poses for a photo with T’way Air President Chung Hong-geun, marking Tigerair Taiwan as the first foreign airline to share flight codes. (Photo by Wang Sihui)

Tigerair Taiwan Chairman Chang Hung-chung and T’way Air (Tway Air) President Chung Hong-geun held a joint press conference today to announce their flight code-sharing partnership. The two airlines will initially implement the scheme on the Taoyuan-Daegu and Taoyuan-Busan routes, allowing passengers to purchase tickets via either airline

Established in 2010, T’way Air is one of South Korea’s low-cost carriers (LCCs). By the end of last year, its fleet had grown to 19 aircraft, serving 4 domestic routes within South Korea and 21 international destinations. Among its Taiwan routes, it operates four — between Songshan and Gimpo, Taoyuan and Daegu, Taichung and Incheon, as well as Kaohsiung and Incheon.

Since commencing operations in 2014, Tigerair Taiwan has built a fleet of 11 A320 aircraft. Following a year of stable profitability, it has achieved another milestone by becoming the first low-cost carrier to engage in code-sharing with a foreign airline. Currently, Tigerair Taiwan serves 15 destinations and operates 20 routes, including three between Taiwan and South Korea: Taoyuan–Daegu, Taoyuan–Busan, and Taoyuan–Jeju Island.

Zheng Honggen stated that with the introduction of code-sharing, Taiwanese travelers heading to Busan and Daegu now have more diverse itinerary options. He anticipates adding more routes in the future and considering increased flight frequency. Currently, there are six low-cost carriers in South Korea, and the Gimpo–Songshan route performs particularly well in terms of revenue. Among the four Taiwan routes, the Gimpo–Songshan route alone boasts a 90% load factor, while other routes maintain an 85% occupancy rate. Future plans include launching flights to Tainan or increasing the frequency of six-day-a-week services. Currently, 60 seats are being exchanged with Tigerair Taiwan, and there is still room for even lower pricing. Collaborations are also ongoing with Eastar Jet and Cambodia Angkor Air.

Chang Hongzhong said that code-sharing among low-cost carriers is a common practice internationally and helps expand route networks and markets. The only missing route at present is to Seoul. He also noted potential opportunities for future collaborations and code-sharing with other airlines.

Additionally, Chang Hongzhong refuted the notion that ticket prices are becoming as expensive as those of traditional airlines. He emphasized that prices will definitely remain more affordable and pointed out that the competition isn’t limited to EVA Air — there are 20 foreign low-cost carriers flying to Taiwan, so pricing must be considered within the broader market context.

Thanks to solid earnings of over NT$500 million this year, regarding year-end bonuses, Chang Hongzhong mentioned that final decisions rest with China Airlines’ board of directors. He assured that efforts will be made to secure the best possible outcome for employees, aiming for better rewards than last year. While the exact figures are not yet confirmed, they will be announced once decided. As long as oil prices do not surge too high, he hopes the airline can maintain annual profits of around NT$500 million over the next two to three years.