The Goddess Mazu Flies Business Class Back to Taiwan: Here Are the Aviation Industry’s Rules for Transporting “Deities”

▲ After arriving in Taiwan, Mazu will visit the Lukang Tianhou Temple on October 1st for ancestral worship, and return to Kunshan on the 2nd. (Photo provided by China Airways, the same below.)

Reported by Chen Hanyin / Compiled by Staff

Mazu from Kunshan Heads Home Up North！ The Huizhou Tianhou Temple, rebuilt with funding from Taiwanese businesspeople, was enshrined locally yesterday (the 29th). Nine divine statues were then escorted by accompanying personnel and flew back to Taiwan on a China Airways GE345 flight from Wuxi to Taoyuan. They not only enjoyed business-class treatment but were also offered an abundant selection of offerings, including in-flight meals, fruits, and nougat, ensuring Mazu’s journey was both comfortable and reassuring.

▲ Mazu enjoys the in-flight meal and fresh fruits on the plane.

He Rongjin, General Manager of China Airways China Region, said: “With increasing cross-strait exchanges, deities flying on planes has become a unique aviation culture unique to both sides. This is also the first time China Airways has welcomed such divine VIPs.” Taking China Airways aircraft as an example, the ATR model used for domestic routes can carry up to four Mazu statues per plane, while other models can carry between 10 to 19. This time, a total of nine divine statues shared the flight, including seven Mazu statues along with their guardian generals Qianliyan (Thousand-Mile Eye) and Shunfeng’er (Wind-Following Ear). One large Mazu statue flew in business class, while the smaller ones were placed in overhead compartments in the cabin.

▲ A total of nine divine statues shared this flight. The smaller Mazu statues were placed in overhead compartments in the cabin, wrapped in blankets and secured with pillows to prevent collisions. The Mazu seated in seat 1C was further secured with eight seatbelts.

In fact, if regular passengers wish to bring divine statues on board, there are several points to note: Generally, divine statues are required to be placed under the passenger seat or in the overhead cabin compartment. If a statue needs to occupy a separate seat, it is considered Cabin Seat Baggage (CBBG) and must be ticketed just like a regular passenger. Additionally, if a ticket is purchased for a CBBG for a divine statue, a boarding pass will be issued, but the name on it will be that of the accompanying person rather than the deity.

▲ Regular passengers carrying divine statues on flights can inquire about relevant regulations in advance.

Taking China Airways as an example, the Airbus model allows each passenger to carry up to two items, while the ATR model limits each passenger to one item. There are clear size regulations, with no single item exceeding 70 kilograms in weight. Regulations vary among airlines, so passengers requiring CBBG services should inquire with the airline in advance and book their tickets ahead of time.