TAIWAN-Taiwan’s third-largest airline, TransAsia Airways, has ordered its first wide-body aircraft and is planning to boost connectivity across the Southeast Asian region.
The airline’s General Manager for Southeast Asia, Andrew Stephen, said that TransAsia’s long-term goal was to connect to every capital city in Southeast Asia. While he admitted that these plans were “an aspiration, rather than a specific business plan”, the fact that TransAsia is planning to add a further 20 aircraft to its fleet in the coming years, including two Airbus A330s, says something of the carrier’s ambition.
At present, TransAsia offers flights to Singapore (from Taipei) and Hanoi (from Kaohsiung), but Stephen noted that while route development was currently restricted by air service agreements between Southeast Asian nations and Taiwan, bilateral discussions were ongoing to boost connectivity. Bangkok, Jakarta and Manila were all cited as key markets for expansion.
To facilitate the expected growth of its route network, TransAsia’s first two Airbus A330s are arriving in November 2012. Stephen revealed that the new twin-aisle aircraft would be configured with two cabins, including its new, yet-to-be-announced business class offering, which will include flatbed seats.
“One of the possible destinations [for the A330s] would be Singapore,” Stephen said, “but it’s a year away so we’ll have to wait and see. Our current Singapore-Taipei services are catered more towards the Singaporean market, with flight times enabling Singaporeans to do a day’s business or shopping in Taipei before flying back in the evening. But it’s possible that we could add a second daily service more to suit the Taiwanese market,” he added.
Stephen also revealed that the new A330 could connect to Japan, following the recent completion of an open skies pact between the country and Taiwan. In April 2012, TransAsia will launch scheduled services to five new Japanese hubs: Osaka, Fukuoka, Nagoya, Sapporo and Ryukyu.
“There’s also the possibility that we could offer a connecting A330 services between Singapore, Taiwan and Japan,” Stephen revealed.
Today, TransAsia operates a fleet of 18 narrow-body aircraft, but with a further 20 on order, including the two A330s, the airline has significant potential to expand. As Taiwan pens more air service agreements with Southeast Asian nations, as it recently did in Japan, TransAsia may just achieve its aspiration of flying to every capital in the region.
The airline’s General Manager for Southeast Asia, Andrew Stephen, said that TransAsia’s long-term goal was to connect to every capital city in Southeast Asia. While he admitted that these plans were “an aspiration, rather than a specific business plan”, the fact that TransAsia is planning to add a further 20 aircraft to its fleet in the coming years, including two Airbus A330s, says something of the carrier’s ambition.
At present, TransAsia offers flights to Singapore (from Taipei) and Hanoi (from Kaohsiung), but Stephen noted that while route development was currently restricted by air service agreements between Southeast Asian nations and Taiwan, bilateral discussions were ongoing to boost connectivity. Bangkok, Jakarta and Manila were all cited as key markets for expansion.
To facilitate the expected growth of its route network, TransAsia’s first two Airbus A330s are arriving in November 2012. Stephen revealed that the new twin-aisle aircraft would be configured with two cabins, including its new, yet-to-be-announced business class offering, which will include flatbed seats.
“One of the possible destinations [for the A330s] would be Singapore,” Stephen said, “but it’s a year away so we’ll have to wait and see. Our current Singapore-Taipei services are catered more towards the Singaporean market, with flight times enabling Singaporeans to do a day’s business or shopping in Taipei before flying back in the evening. But it’s possible that we could add a second daily service more to suit the Taiwanese market,” he added.
Stephen also revealed that the new A330 could connect to Japan, following the recent completion of an open skies pact between the country and Taiwan. In April 2012, TransAsia will launch scheduled services to five new Japanese hubs: Osaka, Fukuoka, Nagoya, Sapporo and Ryukyu.
“There’s also the possibility that we could offer a connecting A330 services between Singapore, Taiwan and Japan,” Stephen revealed.
Today, TransAsia operates a fleet of 18 narrow-body aircraft, but with a further 20 on order, including the two A330s, the airline has significant potential to expand. As Taiwan pens more air service agreements with Southeast Asian nations, as it recently did in Japan, TransAsia may just achieve its aspiration of flying to every capital in the region.
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