Mandarin Airlines Introduces South Korean Connection from Taichung

Mandarin Airlines is to launch the only direct connection to South Korea from the West Central Taiwanese city of Taichung, the country’s third largest city after Taipei and Kaohsiung with a population of just over 2.6 million people. The airline will offer a four times weekly connection to Seoul Incheon from April 06, 2012 adding to its existing five times weekly service to South Korea’s international gateway from Kaohsiung.

An estimated 1.14 million O&D passengers travelled between Taiwan and South Korea in the past year, up 16.0 per cent on the previous 12 month period. The majority of traffic is flying between Seoul Incheon and Taipei Taoyuan, a route served by Asiana Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways, China Airlines, EVA Air, Korean Air and Thai Airways International with almost 50 weekly frequencies.

Mandarin Airlines, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Airlines, will utilise an Embraer 190 on the new route from Taichung. The airline is already the largest operator from the city’s airport with links to Fuzhou, Hangzhou, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Kinmen, Makung, Ningbo, Wuhan and Zhengzhou.