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Taiwan’s China Airlines praises A350
August 4th 2017
Taiwan’s China Airlines (CAL) has taken delivery of the 100th A350-900 built by manufacturer Airbus. At the a delivery ceremony in Toulouse, CAL chairman, Nuan-suan Ho, said: China Airlines is happy to be receiving the 100th A350 XWB. This remarkable new aircraft has not only met, but exceeded our expectations at every level. Read More »
“This includes operational efficiency, the step-change reduction in fuel consumption and the in-flight comfort standards it offers our passengers. Worldwide demand for air travel will continue to grow strongly, especially on long haul routes that link Asia with Europe and North America. The A350 XWB is one of the key assets in our fleet and will be the basis for the development of our long haul route network."
After receiving seven A350s to date, CAL last month decommissioned its sole remaining A340-300X. The Taiwanese flag carrier now operates all its European flights with the A350 on routes to Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Rome and Vienna. From December, CAL will return to London with the A350 with a four times a week Taipei-Gatwick rotation.
“One of the reasons we fly the A350 to Europe is because it is much easier to obtain supplies and spare parts when we need them, especially since it’s a relatively new type of aircraft,” Ho said. “As we take more deliveries, we need to roster the A350 into other long haul markets, so we have asked Airbus to focus more on the North American supply chain to support our operations there,” CAL chairman Ho told Orient Aviation in May.
CAL expects another eight A350s to be delivered by 2018 and holds options for six A350s. To date, Airbus has 847 firm orders for the A350 XWB from 45 customers, with the majority of buyers based in the Asia-Pacific. The A350’s largest variant, the -1000, is on track for delivery before year-end.
