Mandarin Airlines
Encyclopedia
Mandarin Airlines, Limited (華信航空; pinyin
: Huáxìn Hángkōng) is an airline
based in Songshan District, Taipei
, Taiwan
. The Republic of China
-based airline is China Airlines
' regional and domestic subsidiary. It also operates charter services. Its main base is Taichung Airport
.
. At the time, Mandarin Airlines' parent company, China Airlines
, still carried the national flag of the Republic of China on its livery as a symbol of the continued existence of the Republic of China
government. Because of this, the People's Republic of China
used its influence to block any country that it had formal diplomatic relationship with from allowing China Airlines to establish routes to it, such as Canada
and Australia
. However, PRC objected less to ROC airlines that did not carry the national flag from flying international routes, thus Mandarin Airlines was established to take advantage of this, while preserving China Airlines' role as the flag carrier
of the Republic of China.
On 16 October 1991, Mandarin Airlines started operations with direct flights from Taipei to Sydney
in Australia
. The next step was the opening of a direct air route to Vancouver
in Canada
on 7 December 1991. Thus, Mandarin Airlines became ROC
's first airline to fly direct to Australia and Canada. The China Trust Group pulled its investment in Mandarin Airlines on 31 October 1992, turning the airline into a company virtually wholly owned by China Airlines (90.05%) by December 1992. Also, Mandarin Airlines' role was changed to be a primary domestic and short-range intra-regional airline, after parent China Airlines was able to re-establish its emphasis on international routes, due to it changed to a new livery that did not include the national flag, and thus faced less objection from PRC.
On 8 August 1999 China Airlines formally merged its subsidiary, Mandarin Airlines, with Formosa Airlines
under the Mandarin name. Mandarin took over Formosa's domestic operations and aircraft while Mandarin's fleet and most of its international flights were transferred to China Airlines. In early 2000, the airline bought 5 Dornier 228 from Uni Air
to fly out-lying routes. These planes were sold to Daily Air
in 2005, a helicopter carrier in Taiwan which recently won the bid to fly these money-losing routes.
Mandarin Airlines is owned by China Airlines
(93.99%) and has 630 employees (at March 2007).
Vietnam
The Mandarin Airlines fleet includes the following aircraft (as of October 2009):
Mandarin Airlines announced the lease of three Embraer E-190
s and five Embraer E-195
aircraft from GE Commercial Aviation Services
. The aircraft will be used on the dedicated connection flights between Kaohsiung International Airport
and Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport as well as shorthaul routes in Asia, and replace the fleet of Fokker 50
and Fokker 100
s. The first of eight leased Embraer E-190/195s was delivered to the airline in May 2007, the first to a Taiwanese airline. The Embraer E-190s feature a refreshened livery. On October 27, 2009, Mandarin Airlines retired its last Fokker 100 aircraft(B12291), ending this type's 14-year serving era.
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
: Huáxìn Hángkōng) is an airline
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
based in Songshan District, Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. The Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
-based airline is China Airlines
China Airlines
China Airlines is both the flag carrier and the largest airline of Republic of China . Although not directly state-owned, the airline is owned by China Airlines Group, which is owned by the China Aviation Development Foundation...
' regional and domestic subsidiary. It also operates charter services. Its main base is Taichung Airport
Taichung Airport
Taichung Airport , commonly known as Taichung Ching Chuang Kang Airport , is an airport located in Taichung, Taiwan for both commercial and military purposes. It is also the third international airport in Taiwan, which now provides charter services to Japan, South Korea, Phuket, and Palau, as well...
.
History
Mandarin Airlines was established on June 1, 1991, and was originally a joint venture of China Airlines (66%) and the Koo's Development Corporation (33%); the names of both investors formed the Chinese name of Mandarin Airlines. Mandarin's establishment had much to do with the political status of TaiwanPolitical status of Taiwan
The controversy regarding the political status of Taiwan hinges on whether Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu should remain effectively independent as territory of the Republic of China , become unified with the territories now governed by the People's Republic of China , or formally declare...
. At the time, Mandarin Airlines' parent company, China Airlines
China Airlines
China Airlines is both the flag carrier and the largest airline of Republic of China . Although not directly state-owned, the airline is owned by China Airlines Group, which is owned by the China Aviation Development Foundation...
, still carried the national flag of the Republic of China on its livery as a symbol of the continued existence of the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
government. Because of this, the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
used its influence to block any country that it had formal diplomatic relationship with from allowing China Airlines to establish routes to it, such as Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. However, PRC objected less to ROC airlines that did not carry the national flag from flying international routes, thus Mandarin Airlines was established to take advantage of this, while preserving China Airlines' role as the flag carrier
Flag carrier
A flag carrier is a transportation company, such as an airline or shipping company, that, being locally registered in a given country, enjoys preferential rights or privileges, accorded by the government, for international operations. It may be a state-run, state-owned or private but...
of the Republic of China.
On 16 October 1991, Mandarin Airlines started operations with direct flights from Taipei to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The next step was the opening of a direct air route to Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
on 7 December 1991. Thus, Mandarin Airlines became ROC
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
's first airline to fly direct to Australia and Canada. The China Trust Group pulled its investment in Mandarin Airlines on 31 October 1992, turning the airline into a company virtually wholly owned by China Airlines (90.05%) by December 1992. Also, Mandarin Airlines' role was changed to be a primary domestic and short-range intra-regional airline, after parent China Airlines was able to re-establish its emphasis on international routes, due to it changed to a new livery that did not include the national flag, and thus faced less objection from PRC.
On 8 August 1999 China Airlines formally merged its subsidiary, Mandarin Airlines, with Formosa Airlines
Formosa Airlines
-Code data:*IATA Code: VY, Currently assigned to Vueling Airlines*ICAO Code: FOS-History:Formosa Airlines was established in 1987. On 8 August 1999, China Airlines formally merged its subsidiary, Mandarin Airlines , with Formosa Airlines under the Mandarin name...
under the Mandarin name. Mandarin took over Formosa's domestic operations and aircraft while Mandarin's fleet and most of its international flights were transferred to China Airlines. In early 2000, the airline bought 5 Dornier 228 from Uni Air
Uni Air
UNI Air is an airline based in Zhongshan, Taipei, Taiwan. It is a domestic and regional subsidiary of EVA Air. It was known as Makung International Airlines until 1996, when EVA Air took a majority share of the airline...
to fly out-lying routes. These planes were sold to Daily Air
Daily Air
Daily Air is an airline based in Taipei, Taiwan. It operates scheduled passenger services to offshore islands from Taiwan, as well as helicopter contract services and charters...
in 2005, a helicopter carrier in Taiwan which recently won the bid to fly these money-losing routes.
Mandarin Airlines is owned by China Airlines
China Airlines
China Airlines is both the flag carrier and the largest airline of Republic of China . Although not directly state-owned, the airline is owned by China Airlines Group, which is owned by the China Aviation Development Foundation...
(93.99%) and has 630 employees (at March 2007).
Destinations
Mandarin Airlines operates the following services (as of April 2011) The mainland Chinese destinations may include scheduled charter service or indirect routing which transit through non-Chinese country.- ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
- Changsha (Changsha Huanghua International AirportChangsha Huanghua International AirportChangsha Huanghua International Airport is the airport serving Changsha, Hunan province, People's Republic of China, as well as nearby cities such as Zhuzhou and Xiangtan. Located about of the city centee in the town of Huanghua in Changsha County, the airport has two terminal buildings and is...
) - FuzhouFuzhouFuzhou is the capital and one of the largest cities in Fujian Province, People's Republic of China. Along with the many counties of Ningde, those of Fuzhou are considered to constitute the Mindong linguistic and cultural area....
(Fuzhou Changle International AirportFuzhou Changle International AirportFuzhou Changle International Airport is an airport in Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian Province, China. The airport was inaugurated on June 23, 1997, after being approved to start constructing in 1992. The current handling capacity is approximately 6.5 million people annually. It is one of the...
) - HangzhouHangzhouHangzhou , formerly transliterated as Hangchow, is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. Governed as a sub-provincial city, and as of 2010, its entire administrative division or prefecture had a registered population of 8.7 million people...
(Hangzhou Xiaoshan International AirportHangzhou Xiaoshan International AirportHangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport is the principal airport serving Hangzhou, a major city in the Yangtze River Delta region and the capital of Zhejiang Province, China....
) - NanjingNanjing' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
(Nanjing Lukou International AirportNanjing Lukou International AirportNanjing Lukou International Airport is the main airport of Nanjing, the capital of China's Jiangsu province. The airport is located in the suburban Jiangning District, over 35 km to the south from Nanjing's downtown area....
) - NingboNingboNingbo is a seaport city of northeastern Zhejiang province, Eastern China. Holding sub-provincial administrative status, the municipality has a population of 7,605,700 inhabitants at the 2010 census whom 3,089,180 in the built up area made of 6 urban districts. It lies south of the Hangzhou Bay,...
(Ningbo Lishe International AirportNingbo Lishe International AirportNingbo Lishe International Airport is the principal airport serving Ningbo, a major city in the Yangtze River Delta region and the second largest city in Zhejiang Province, China.In 2010, the airport handled 4,517,070 passengers, ranking 33rd in China...
) - ShenyangShenyangShenyang , or Mukden , is the capital and largest city of Liaoning Province in Northeast China. Currently holding sub-provincial administrative status, the city was once known as Shengjing or Fengtianfu...
(Shenyang Taoxian International AirportShenyang Taoxian International AirportShenyang Taoxian International Airport is an airport in Shenyang, Liaoning, China. It is located about 20 km south of the city center.As for 2010, Shenyang Taoxian International Airport was the 21th busiest airport in the People's Republic of China with 8,619,897 passengers.-Airlines and...
) - XiamenXiamenXiamen , also known as Amoy , is a major city on the southeast coast of the People's Republic of China. It is administered as a sub-provincial city of Fujian province with an area of and population of 3.53 million...
(Xiamen Gaoqi International AirportXiamen Gaoqi International Airport-Cargo airlines:-See also:*List of airports in the People's Republic of China*China's busiest airports by passenger traffic-External links:*...
) - ZhengzhouZhengzhouZhengzhou , is the capital and largest city of Henan province in north-central China. A prefecture-level city, it also serves as the political, economic, technological, and educational centre of the province, as well as a major transportation hub for Central China...
(Zhengzhou Xinzheng International AirportZhengzhou Xinzheng International AirportZhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport is the principal airport serving Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan Province, China.Xinzheng airport is located 37 km southeast of Zhengzhou. It was opened on August 28, 1997, the 21st international airport in China...
)
- Changsha (Changsha Huanghua International Airport
- Hong KongHong KongHong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
- Hong Kong International AirportHong Kong International AirportHong Kong International Airport is the main airport in Hong Kong. It is colloquially known as Chek Lap Kok Airport , being built on the island of Chek Lap Kok by land reclamation, and also to distinguish it from its predecessor, the closed Kai Tak Airport.The airport opened for commercial...
- Hong Kong International Airport
- JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
- IshigakiIshigaki*Ishigaki Island*Ishigaki, Okinawa*Ishigaki Airport*Japanese escort Ishigaki*Ai Ishigaki , guitarist for The Mad Capsule Markets*Ishigaki Rin...
- Ishigaki AirportIshigaki Airport, is a third-class airport located from Ishigaki city centre in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The airport fields flights to major cities on the Japanese mainland as well as destinations throughout Okinawa Prefecture and the Yaeyama Islands.-History:... - OsakaOsakais a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
- Kansai International AirportKansai International Airportis an international airport located on an artificial island in the middle of Osaka Bay, southwest of Ōsaka Station, located within three municipalities, including Izumisano , Sennan , and Tajiri , in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. The airport is off the Honshu shore. The airport serves as an...
charter - TokyoTokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
- Narita International AirportNarita International Airportis an international airport serving the Greater Tokyo Area of Japan. It is located east of Tokyo Station and east-southeast of Narita Station in the city of Narita, and the adjacent town of Shibayama....
- Ishigaki
- Malaysia
- Kota KinabaluKota KinabaluKota Kinabalu , formerly known as Jesselton, is the capital of Sabah state in East Malaysia. It is also the capital of the West Coast Division of Sabah. The city is located on the northwest coast of Borneo facing the South China Sea. The Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park lies on one side and Mount...
- Kota Kinabalu International AirportKota Kinabalu International AirportKota Kinabalu International Airport serves the city of Kota Kinabalu, the state capital of Sabah, Malaysia. It is located about 8 km southwest of the city centre. It is the second busiest airport in Malaysia after Kuala Lumpur International Airport, handling 4.8 million passengers in 2009...
- Kota Kinabalu
- South KoreaSouth KoreaThe Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
- SeoulSeoulSeoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
- Incheon International AirportIncheon International AirportIncheon International Airport is the largest airport in South Korea, the primary airport serving the Seoul national capital area, and one of the largest and busiest airports in the world...
- Seoul
- TaiwanTaiwanTaiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
- Hualien - Hualien AirportHualien AirportHualien Airport is a commercial airport located in a 11.5 hectare civilian area of a military airbase in Hualien, Taiwan. It primary serves domestic flights although it can handle international charter flights as well...
- KaohsiungKaohsiungKaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China...
- Kaohsiung International AirportKaohsiung International AirportKaohsiung International Airport , also known as Kaohsiung Siaogang Airport for the Siaogang District where it is located, is a medium-sized commercial airport located in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan...
- Hualien - Hualien Airport
- KinmenKinmenKinmen , also known as Quemoy , is a small archipelago of several islands administered by the Republic of China : Greater Kinmen, Lesser Kinmen, and some islets. Administratively, it is Kinmen County of Fujian Province, ROC. The county is claimed by the People's Republic of China as part of its...
- Kinmen AirportKinmen AirportKinmen Airport or Shang Yi Airport is a civilian airport serving Kinmen, Fujian Province, Republic of China . It was built in 1994 as a civilian airport located at Shang-I, to the northeastern side of the original military airport... - MakungMakungMakung is the county seat of Penghu, in Taiwan Province, Taiwan . Makung is on the western part of the main Penghu Island....
- Magong Airport - TaichungTaichung-Demographics:Taichung’s population was an estimated 1,040,725 in August 2006. There are slightly more females in the city than males.24.32% of residents are children, while 16.63% are young people, 52.68% are middle-age, and 6.73% are elderly....
- Taichung AirportTaichung AirportTaichung Airport , commonly known as Taichung Ching Chuang Kang Airport , is an airport located in Taichung, Taiwan for both commercial and military purposes. It is also the third international airport in Taiwan, which now provides charter services to Japan, South Korea, Phuket, and Palau, as well...
Focus city - TaipeiTaipeiTaipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
- Songshan Airport Hub
- Taoyuan International Airport
- TaitungTaitung CityTaitung City is the county seat of Taitung County, Taiwan. It lies on the southeast coast of Taiwan facing the Pacific Ocean.The city is served by Taitung Airport. Taitung is a gateway to Green Island and Orchid Island, both of which are very popular among Taiwanese tourists.-History:Taitung...
- Taitung AirportTaitung AirportTaitung Airport is an airport serving Taitung City, in Taitung County, Taiwan ....
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
- HanoiHanoiHanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
- Noi Bai International AirportNoi Bai International AirportNoi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, is the largest in the north of the country. It is 28 miles from the city centre. The travel time from the city centre is 30–45 minutes.-Facilities:...
[begins 7 November] - Ho Chi Minh CityHo Chi Minh CityHo Chi Minh City , formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam...
- Tan Son Nhat International AirportTan Son Nhat International AirportTan Son Nhat International Airport is Vietnam's largest international airport in terms of area . It has a handling capacity of 15-17 million passengers per year, compared with the capacity of Hanoi - Noi Bai airport of 8 million passengers and Da Nang's 2 million passengers...
Fleet
| Aircraft | In Fleet | Passengers (Economy) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Embraer 190AR | 8 | 104 | 4 leased from GECAS |
Mandarin Airlines announced the lease of three Embraer E-190
Embraer E-Jets
The Embraer E-Jets are a series of narrow-body, twin-engine, medium-range, jet airliners produced by Embraer, a Brazilian aerospace conglomerate that produces commercial, military, and corporate aircraft. Announced at the Paris Air Show in 1999, and entering production in 2002, the aircraft series...
s and five Embraer E-195
Embraer E-Jets
The Embraer E-Jets are a series of narrow-body, twin-engine, medium-range, jet airliners produced by Embraer, a Brazilian aerospace conglomerate that produces commercial, military, and corporate aircraft. Announced at the Paris Air Show in 1999, and entering production in 2002, the aircraft series...
aircraft from GE Commercial Aviation Services
GE Commercial Aviation Services
GECAS is a unit of GE Capital, itself part of the large conglomerate General Electric. The president of GECAS is Norman Liu. GECAS is responsible for the leasing of aircraft and associated equipment to airlines...
. The aircraft will be used on the dedicated connection flights between Kaohsiung International Airport
Kaohsiung International Airport
Kaohsiung International Airport , also known as Kaohsiung Siaogang Airport for the Siaogang District where it is located, is a medium-sized commercial airport located in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan...
and Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport as well as shorthaul routes in Asia, and replace the fleet of Fokker 50
Fokker F50
The Fokker 50 is a turboprop-powered airliner, designed as a refinement of and successor to the highly successful Fokker F27 Friendship. The Fokker 60 is a stretched freighter version of the Fokker 50. Both aircraft were built by Fokker in the Netherlands...
and Fokker 100
Fokker F100
The Fokker 100 is a medium size twin-turbofan airliner from the Fokker company. Low operational costs and almost no competition in the 100-seat short-range class made it a best seller when it was introduced in the late 1980s, but decayed due to increasing competition. Production ended in 1997 with...
s. The first of eight leased Embraer E-190/195s was delivered to the airline in May 2007, the first to a Taiwanese airline. The Embraer E-190s feature a refreshened livery. On October 27, 2009, Mandarin Airlines retired its last Fokker 100 aircraft(B12291), ending this type's 14-year serving era.
Incidents and accidents
- China Airlines Flight 642 crashed in Hong Kong International AirportHong Kong International AirportHong Kong International Airport is the main airport in Hong Kong. It is colloquially known as Chek Lap Kok Airport , being built on the island of Chek Lap Kok by land reclamation, and also to distinguish it from its predecessor, the closed Kai Tak Airport.The airport opened for commercial...
in 1999, resulting in three passenger deaths. The aircraft was painted in Mandarin Airlines's livery but originally China Airlines' before the fleet transferral.