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Here is a brief profile and history of China Airlines. In India, China Airlines flies to Delhi.

China Airlines

Established on December 16, 1959, China Airlines is the national airline of the Republic of China (Taiwan). The airline is owned by China Aviation Development Foundation, which is an autonomous government body. Headquartered at Taipei, China Airlines has its main hub at Chiang Kai-shek International Airport. The airline plies flights to a number of destinations in four continents of the world. The airline initially started its operations with Check out the following lines to know more about the history and profile of China Airlines.

History
After its inception, China Airlines initially concentrated on providing chartered flights to its customers. The airline gradually expanded its business and in October 1962, it flew its maiden domestic flight from Taipei to Hualien. On December 1, 1966, it started its international services, with inaugural flight to Saigon, Vietnam. The airline started its transpacific flights on February 2, 1970, with a flight to San Francisco. Gradually, the airline started expanding its services. It added Boeing 747 to its fleet. In 1984, it launched a new service to Amsterdam - the airline's first European destination. In 1993, the China Airlines was listed on Taiwan Stock Exchange.

The next twenty years proved to be crucial for the growth of China Airlines in the civil aviation industry. The airline started plying flights on its new routes, covering Los Angeles, New York, London and Paris. A milestone in the history of China Airlines was the inauguration of its own round-the-world flight, which plied from Taipei-Anchorage-New York-Amsterdam-Dubai-Taipei. However, the airline didn't escape the prevalent political tensions in its homeland. Since the airline was a flag carrier of the Republic of China, it was barred from plying into a number of countries.

In the 1990s, China Airline's subsidiary - Mandarin Airlines - took over some of its international routes. To stay away from controversies, China Airlines replaced its national flag with its "plum blossom flower" logo and changed the red-white-blue national colors on the fuselage of its aircraft, on October 7, 1995. In 2004, there was a strong move to rename the airline as Taiwan Airline, but the issue was dropped. Currently, China Airlines operates from its new headquarters situated around the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.

Destination And Fleet
Presently, China Airlines flies to destinations in Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania. In India, China Airlines flies to Delhi. Currently, China Airline has a fleet of 86 aircrafts, which includes Airbus A330-300, Airbus A340-300, Airbus A350-900XWB, Boeing B737-800, Boeing B747-400, Boeing B747-400F and Embraer E190.

Last Updated on 1st August, 2009