V Air (Wei Hang) is calling it quits — confirmed merger with TransAsia Airways, 9 routes to suspend from October 1

▲ Low-cost airline V Air (Wei Hang). (Photo / Provided by V Air)

Reported by Lai Wen-xuan / Taipei

On the 9th, TransAsia Airways passed a board resolution to suspend operations of its wholly-owned low-cost subsidiary, V Air (Wei Hang), starting October 1 this year. Chairman Lin Ming-yi stated that in order to accelerate the corporate restructuring of the TransAsia Airways group, merging V Air would effectively deliver integrated synergies.

With the confirmed merger of V Air, all flights after October 1 have been immediately taken off sale. The last day of operation will be September 30. All flights without any announced changes before September 30 will operate as normal and remain unaffected. TransAsia Airways will take over V Air’s Chiang Mai and Fukuoka routes. In response to the merger of the two airlines, passenger rights will be prioritized, and every effort will be made to assist V Air in properly arranging bookings already made by passengers. Options including flight rebooking or refund will be provided. As for V Air staff, Lin Ming-yi expressed his sincere gratitude. Post-merger personnel arrangements will begin shortly, guided by the principle of taking good care of employees. A resolution will be reached in the shortest possible time to reassure staff.

▲ Low-cost airline V Air (Wei Hang) is officially retiring. (Photo / Provided by V Air)

Since its inaugural flight on December 17, 2014, from Taipei to Bangkok, V Air (Wei Hang) has operated a total of 9 routes to date, carrying more than 580,000 passengers. Key routes such as Chiang Mai and Bangkok achieved passenger loads of over 77%.

While implementing the restructuring, Lin Ming-yi emphasized that apart from immediately advancing major issues such as company integration, the welfare of employees and passengers will be a key focus for the management team. He also solemnly reiterated that flight safety always comes first (We put safety first.), and the commitment to safety priority will be further strengthened through optimized operations following the merger.