Jaunted - Tag: china airlines

China and Taiwan Now Joined By Air

amandak — 2008-12-16T09:00:31-05:00

We called it, and now it's happening: as of this week, there are regular, direct flights between Taiwan and China.

Yep, instead of having to fly through Hong Kong airspace (and usually change planes), travelers will be able to make the short hop from China to nearby, related-in-a-complicated-way Taiwan. In Taiwan they're expecting a massive wave of Chinese tourists and the Chinese seem to think this is a clever way to get Taiwan politically closer.

Far be it from us to figure out how to say anything diplomatically about the power struggle going on there. We're just pleased we won't need to go to all the trouble of sailing a paper boat across the Taiwan Strait. Even a dodgy China Airlines flight would be better than that.

China Airlines Flight Hits Turbulence, New Low

ced138 — 2008-10-02T12:00:37-05:00

Two weeks ago, this Jaunted writer flew from San Francisco to Phnom Penh, Cambodia on China Airlines. Under the impression that international carriers are generally superior to domestics, she felt duped when her stained, rigid seat and minuscule meal made her feel like she was flying to Cleveland via Delta circa 1997.

Gateway to Taiwan: New Agreement Would Allow Direct Flights

benh — 2008-05-13T13:00:01-05:00

Taiwan's Ma Ying-jeou won't take office until next Tuesday, but the president-elect has already gotten busy trying to solidify a deal that will allow regular direct flights from the Chinese mainland. Talk of the agreement is creating a buzz on the island nation--er, territory?--as its citizens anticipate a massive influx of new tourists.

Ma has so far only committed to expanding weekend charter flights by this July, but has said he hopes to have regularly scheduled flights by the end of this year.

Taiwan first banned direct flights between China when the mainland came under Communist rule in 1949, largely over sovereignty concerns. Direct charter flights resumed under a 2006 agreement, according to the International Herald Tribune, but have only been allowed during major holidays.

China Airlines Paints Over Name and Logo of Charred Plane

markj — 2007-08-23T11:18:58-05:00

Investigators in Japan claim they have found a hole in the fuel tank of a China Airlines plane that might explain why it burst into a fireball moments after landing. Thankfully, all 165 passengers and crew slid down emergency chutes to safety minutes before the 737 burst into fire after landing Monday at Naha Airport in Okinawa.

That is the good news. The odd news is that China Airlines has painted over its name and logo on the wreckage, apparently to limit further damage to its image. Doesn't whiting out your airline name actually attract more attention to your airline during these trying times? Anyway, let's be glad the cause of the accident was found and no one was hurt.

Related Stories:
· China Airlines paints over name [mainichi-msn]