Mandarin Airlines

Mandarin Airlines
華信航空
IATA ICAO Callsign
AE MDA MANDARIN
Founded1 June 1991; 32 years ago (1991-06-01)
Commenced operations16 October 1991; 32 years ago (1991-10-16)
Hubs
Focus citiesKaohsiung
Frequent-flyer programDynasty Flyer
Fleet size10
Destinations34
Parent companyChina Airlines
HeadquartersSongshan District, Taipei, Taiwan
Key peopleSamuel P. Lin (Chairman)
Websitewww.mandarin-airlines.com

Mandarin Airlines (traditional Chinese: 華信航空; simplified Chinese: 华信航空; pinyin: Huáxìn Hángkōng) is a Taiwanese regional airline based in Taipei, Taiwan, whose parent company is China Airlines. The airline operates domestic and regional international flights, while its parent company focuses on international operations. Some charter services are also operated by the company. Its main base is Songshan Airport, Taichung International Airport and Kaohsiung International Airport.

History[edit]

A Boeing 747SP landing at Kai Tak Airport in Hong Kong in December 1996. The 747-SP was one of the first aircraft in the fleet and was acquired from China Airlines

Mandarin Airlines was established on 1 June 1991, and was initially a joint venture by China Airlines (67%) and Koos Group (33%); the Chinese name of the company is formed by the combination of the two.[1] The establishment of Mandarin Airlines is closely related to the political status of Taiwan. At the time, Mandarin Airlines' parent company, China Airlines, still served as the flag carrier of the Republic of China, with the flag of the Republic of China a part of its livery. Denying the existence of the Taipei government, the People's Republic of China hence attempted to boycott the international presence of China Airlines, using trade barriers to achieve its political goal. However, PRC's objection did not extend to other Taiwanese carriers not carrying the ROC flag. As a way to work around these limits, Mandarin Airlines was founded while China Airlines maintained its role as the flag carrier.

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 Taiwan's first airline to fly direct to Australia and Canada.[citation needed] 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 that of a primary domestic and short-range intra-regional airline,[1] after parent China Airlines was able to re-establish its emphasis on international routes, due to a new livery that did not include the national flag, and thus faced less objection from the PRC.[citation needed]

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.[1] In early 2000, the airline bought 5 Dornier 228 from Uni Air to fly outlying routes. These planes were sold to Daily Air in 2005, a helicopter carrier in Taiwan which had won the bid to fly these money-losing routes.[citation needed]

Mandarin Airlines is owned by China Airlines (93.99%) and has 630 employees (as of March 2007).[2]

Corporate affairs[edit]

China Airlines Minquan Building, which houses the headquarters of Mandarin Airlines

Headquarters[edit]

The headquarters is currently in Songshan District, Taipei.[3] Previously the headquarters was in a different building in Taipei.[4]

Corporate design[edit]

The airline uses Hai Tung Ching (海東青; 海东青; Hǎidōngqīng), a gyrfalcon from a Chinese legend, as its logo.[5]

Destinations[edit]

As of February 2024, Mandarin Airlines operates the following destinations;[6][7] destinations in China may include scheduled charter service or indirect routing which transit through other countries:

Country City Airport Notes Refs
Australia Brisbane Brisbane Airport Terminated
Sydney Sydney Airport Terminated
Canada Vancouver Vancouver International Airport Terminated
China Changchun Changchun Longjia International Airport
Changsha Changsha Huanghua International Airport
Fuzhou Fuzhou Changle International Airport
Hangzhou Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport
Jieyang Jieyang Chaoshan International Airport
Lijiang Lijiang Sanyi International Airport Terminated [8]
Nanjing Nanjing Lukou International Airport
Ningbo Ningbo Lishe International Airport
Shenyang Shenyang Taoxian International Airport
Wenzhou Wenzhou Longwan International Airport
Wuxi Sunan Shuofang International Airport
Xiamen Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport
Yancheng Yancheng Nanyang International Airport
Zhengzhou Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport
Germany Frankfurt Frankfurt Airport Terminated
Hong Kong Hong Kong Hong Kong International Airport
Kai Tak Airport Airport Closed
Japan Ishigaki New Ishigaki Airport
Ōita Oita Airport Charter
Osaka Kansai International Airport Terminated
Tokyo Narita International Airport
Macau Macau Macau International Airport Terminated
Netherlands Amsterdam Amsterdam Airport Schiphol Terminated
Philippines Cebu Mactan–Cebu International Airport Terminated [9]
Kalibo Kalibo International Airport
Laoag Laoag International Airport Terminated [10]
South Korea Seoul Incheon International Airport Terminated
Taiwan Hualien Hualien Airport
Kaohsiung Kaohsiung International Airport Focus city
Kinmen Kinmen Airport
Penghu Penghu Airport
Taichung Taichung International Airport Hub
Taipei Songshan Airport Hub
Taoyuan International Airport
Taitung Taitung Airport
Thailand Bangkok Don Mueang International Airport Terminated
Vietnam Hanoi Noi Bai International Airport [11]
Ho Chi Minh City Tan Son Nhat International Airport

Codeshare agreements[edit]

As of November 2012, Mandarin Airlines has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:

Fleet[edit]

Current fleet[edit]

Mandarin Airlines ATR 72-600

As of February 2024, Mandarin Airlines operates the following aircraft:[12]

Mandarin Airlines fleet
Aircraft In
service
Orders Passengers Notes
C Y Total
ATR 72-600 10 5 70 70 Deliveries until 2025.[13][14]
Total 10 5

Fleet development[edit]

Mandarin Airlines announced the lease of eight Embraer 190 aircraft from GE Commercial Aviation Services in December 2005 to replace the aging Fokker 50 and Fokker 100s in its fleet.[15] Mandarin Airlines' E-190's featured a refreshed livery, with the first aircraft delivered in May 2007, becoming the first, and to date the only, Taiwanese airline to use this type of aircraft.[16] On 27 October 2009, Mandarin Airlines retired its last Fokker 100 aircraft, ending this type's 14-year service with the airline.[17] On 19 July 2017 Mandarin Airlines placed orders for six ATR 72-600 aircraft to be delivered in 2018.[18]

Retired fleet[edit]

A former Mandarin Airlines Boeing 747SP in 1996
A former Mandarin Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-11 in 1998

Mandarin Airlines formerly operated the following aircraft:

Mandarin Airlines former fleet
Aircraft Total Introduced Retired Notes
Airbus A340-300 1 2006 2007
Boeing 737-800 6 2000 2019 Returned to China Airlines
Boeing 747-400 1 1995 2000 Transferred to China Airlines
Boeing 747SP 4 1991 2004
Dornier 228 4 2000 2005
Embraer 190AR 8 2007 2021
Fokker 50 7 1999 2008
Fokker 100 6 1999 2009
McDonnell Douglas MD-11 5 1993 2002
Saab 340 1 1999 2000 Transferred to Golden Air

Accidents and incidents[edit]

  • On December 6, 2006, Mandarin Airlines Flight 1261 flew from Taipei to Kinmen. After a normal landing at Jinmen Airport, it was found that a wheel of the front landing gear had fallen off. Later, the wheel was found next to the runway of Songshan Airport, there were no casualties.[citation needed]
  • On 17 August 2012, Mandarin Airlines Flight 369 experienced a runway excursion during heavy rain due to improper landing and deceleration technique on runway 20 at Magong airport. The E-190 aircraft was intentionally steered off the side of the runway and struck the base of four concrete runway lights causing the nose gear to collapse. No injuries were reported for the accident.[19]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "About Us." Mandarin Airlines. Retrieved on 7 March 2010.
  2. ^ "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 2007-04-10. p. 47.
  3. ^ "Home." Mandarin Airlines. Retrieved on 8 August 2014. "台北總公司: 10548台北市敦化北路405巷123弄3號 Head Office: No.3, Alley 123, Lane 405 Tunhwa N. Rd., Taipei, 10548 Taiwan"
  4. ^ "Contact Us." Mandarin Airlines. Retrieved on 15 March 2010. "台北總公司: 105台北市民生東路三段134號13樓."
  5. ^ "Our business mark and concept of operations." Mandarin Airlines.
  6. ^ "Route Maps". Mandarin Airlines.
  7. ^ "Mandarin Airlines flies to over 30 destinations". mandarinairlines.
  8. ^ "Mandarin Airlines ends Lijiang service". Routesonline.
  9. ^ "China Airlines Group Adds Cebu Charter Service from Jan 2015". www.routesonline.com. 9 December 2014. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  10. ^ "Mandarin Airlines keeps Kaohsiung – Laoag in S10". www.routeonline.com. 7 May 2010. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  11. ^ "Mandarin Airlines S19 Taichung – Hanoi frequency changes".
  12. ^ "Mandarin Airlines fleet". Retrieved 25 February 2024. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  13. ^ "Taiwan's Mandarin Airlines buys six ATR 72-600s". ATR Aircraft. 18 July 2017. Archived from the original on 22 November 2018. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  14. ^ "Taiwan's Mandarin Airlines buys six ATR 72-600s". Ch-Aviation. 20 June 2023.
  15. ^ "華信航空 Mandarin Airlines". Archived from the original on 3 January 2007. Retrieved 2007-01-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  16. ^ Air Transport World Archived 2007-09-29 at the Wayback Machine 15 May 2007
  17. ^ 華信FK-100機隊 光榮除役. Liberty Times (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 2009-10-28. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  18. ^ Dron, Alan (19 July 2017). "Taiwan's Mandarin Airlines opts for ATR 72-600s". atwonline.com. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  19. ^ "Report: Long touchdown of ERJ-190 on wet runway causes runway excursion and nosegear collapse - ASN News". 14 September 2013. Retrieved 18 November 2018.

External links[edit]

Media related to Mandarin Airlines at Wikimedia Commons