China Airlines to launch Abu Dhabi flight, hikes service to Seattle

Two more Seattle flights to be added by China Airlines.

BY OUR AVIATION CORRESPONDENT
March 28, 2006

China Airlines (CAL) is to begin a new Taipei-Abu Dhabi-Vienna flight, to be operated by an Airbus A330-300 aircraft, from April 25, 2006. China Airlines intends to operate three flights a week that will have a new stopover at Abu Dhabi.

The addition of Abu Dhabi on its network will enable CAL to serve Middle East travelers. The flight will also be convenient for workers from the Philippines and Indonesia flying to the Middle East.

The service - CI 063 - will depart every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 21:30 from Taipei, arriving in Abu Dhabi the next day at 02:25. From Abu Dhabi it would start its journey at 03:35 and arrive in Vienna at 07:30 am. Return flight of CI 064 will leave Vienna every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 09:20 in the morning and arrive in Abu Dhabi at 16:50. It will depart Abu Dhabi at 18:00 and arrive in Taipei the following morning at 06:40.

CAL is adding two new frequencies to Seattle, to cash in on an increase in travelers to the US city. The roundtrip flights - CI 022 and CI 021 - will be launched on April 26 and will be operated using an A340-300 aircraft.

CI 022 will depart on Mondays and Wednesdays at 23:00 from Taipei and arrive at 19:10 the same day in Seattle. Return flight CI 021 will take off on Tuesdays and Thursdays from Seattle at 01:20 and arrive in Taipei at 05:30 the next day.

The airline intends to increase this to five flights per week, with three to be extended up to Houston.