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Taiwan’s government asks airlines to offer priority boarding and upgrades to military personnel
July 11th 2025
Starting this month, active military personnel in Taiwan will be eligible for priority boarding and upgrades on availability when travelling on international flights of local airlines, Taiwan’s premier, Cho Jung-tai, announced this week. Read More » The ruling is in response to Taiwan president William Lai’s encouragement of civil-military cooperation, Cho said. In a joint statement, China Airlines and EVA Airways labour unions said “providing upgrades to business class for active duty personnel is more complex than it seems”. “Implementing it might damage the interests of ordinary people, shareholders and flight operators. If only specific companies cooperate with the policy, it will be detrimental to fair market competition and sustainable airline operations. Perks for active duty personnel are legitimate, but the government should fully consider the industry’s operational challenges and provide reasonable incentives and assistance rather than requiring companies to cooperate. The government should not act unilaterally if it is to avoid unnecessary conflict and division, the union joint statement said.
Separately, China Airlines (CAL) is hiring cabin crew to operate new aircraft as it expands its network. Positions for more than 100 flight attendants are available as are positions for IT personnel. CAL aims to attract young talent to the airline to create momentum for its expansion, the flag carrier said.
