Mandarin Airlines
Regional airline of Taiwan
title: "Mandarin Airlines" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["airlines-of-taiwan", "airlines-established-in-1991", "government-owned-airlines", "china-airlines-group", "skyteam-affiliate-members", "taiwanese-companies-established-in-1991", "taiwanese-brands", "companies-based-in-taipei"] description: "Regional airline of Taiwan" topic_path: "geography/china" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandarin_Airlines" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Regional airline of Taiwan ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox airline"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| airline | Mandarin Airlines |
| 華信航空 | |
| logo | Mandarin Airlines logo.svg |
| logo_size | 200 |
| image | [[File:B-16852.jpg |
| caption | Mandarin Airlines ATR 72-600 landing |
| fleet_size | 13 |
| destinations | 34 |
| IATA | AE |
| ICAO | MDA |
| callsign | MANDARIN |
| parent | China Airlines Group |
| founded | |
| commenced | |
| headquarters | Songshan, Taipei, Taiwan |
| key_people | Kao Shing Hwang (Chairman) |
| hubs | Taipei–Songshan |
| focus_cities | {{ubl |
| frequent_flyer | Dynasty Flyer |
| alliance | SkyTeam (affiliate) |
| website | |
| :: |
| airline = Mandarin Airlines 華信航空 | logo = Mandarin Airlines logo.svg | logo_size = 200 | image = [[File:B-16852.jpg|Mandarin Airlines ATR 72|250px]] | caption = Mandarin Airlines ATR 72-600 landing | fleet_size = 13 | destinations = 34 | IATA = AE | ICAO = MDA | callsign = MANDARIN | parent = China Airlines Group | company_slogan = | founded = | commenced = | ceased = | headquarters = Songshan, Taipei, Taiwan | key_people = Kao Shing Hwang (Chairman) | hubs = Taipei–Songshan | focus_cities = {{ubl|class=nowrap | Kaohsiung | Taichung}} | secondary_hubs = | frequent_flyer = Dynasty Flyer | lounge = | alliance = SkyTeam (affiliate) | subsidiaries = | website =
Mandarin Airlines () 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 bases are Songshan Airport, Taichung International Airport and Kaohsiung International Airport.
History
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/Boeing_747SP-09,_Mandarin_Airlines_AN0193867.jpg" caption="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. 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. 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, 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.
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. In early 2000, the airline bought 5 Dornier 228 aircraft 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.
Mandarin Airlines is owned by China Airlines (93.99%) and has 630 employees (as of March 2007).
Corporate affairs
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/China_Airlines_Minquan_Building_20131031.jpg" caption="China Airlines Minquan Building, which houses the headquarters of Mandarin Airlines"] ::
Headquarters
The headquarters is currently in Songshan District, Taipei. Previously the headquarters was in a different building in Taipei.
Corporate design
The airline uses Hai Tung Ching (), a gyrfalcon from a Chinese legend, as its logo.
Destinations
, Mandarin Airlines flies (or has flown) to the following destinations; destinations in China may include scheduled charter service or indirect routing which transit through other countries:
::data[format=table]
Interline agreements
Mandarin Airlines has interline agreements with the following airlines:
Codeshare agreements
Mandarin Airlines has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:
Fleet
Current fleet
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/Mandarin_Airlines_ATR72-600_2019-10-27.jpg" caption="Mandarin Airlines [[ATR 72-600"] ::
, Mandarin Airlines operates the following aircraft:
::data[format=table title="Mandarin Airlines fleet"] | Aircraft | In service | Orders | Passengers | Notes | C | Y | Total | Total | 13 | 3 | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | ATR 72-600 | 10 | 3 | – | 70 | 70 | Deliveries until 2025. | | | | | | Boeing 737-800 | 1 | – | 8 | 150 | 158 | | | | | | ::
Fleet development
Mandarin Airlines announced the lease of eight Embraer E190 aircraft from GE Commercial Aviation Services in December 2005 to replace the aging Fokker 50 and Fokker 100s in its fleet. Mandarin Airlines' E190'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. On 27 October 2009, Mandarin Airlines retired its last Fokker 100 aircraft, ending this type's 14-year service with the airline. On 19 July 2017, Mandarin Airlines placed orders for six ATR 72-600 aircraft to be delivered in 2018.
Former fleet
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/Mandarin_Airlines_Boeing_747SP-09;_B-1862@HKG,December_1996_BIV(5618627457).jpg" caption="A former Mandarin Airlines [[Boeing 747SP]] in 1996"] ::
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/17ao_-_Mandarin_Airlines_MD-11;N489GX@ZRH;30.03.1998(8297555341).jpg" caption="A former Mandarin Airlines [[McDonnell Douglas MD-11]] in 1998"] ::
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4e/AMSTERDAM_APRIL_2000_MANDARIN_AIRLINES_BOEING_747-400_B-16801.jpg" caption="A former Mandarin Airlines [[Boeing 747-400]] in 2000"] ::
In the past, Mandarin Airlines has previously operated the following aircraft:
::data[format=table title="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 E190 | 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
As 2024, Mandarin Airlines was involved in two incidents with no hull loss and fatalities. One McDonnell Douglas MD-11 which wore Mandarin Airlines' livery crashed while landing at Hong Kong International Airport on August 22, 1999, resulting in three fatalities, but it was withdrawn from Mandarin Airlines three months before the crash and operated by China Airlines upon the crash.
-
On December 6, 2006, Mandarin Airlines Flight 1261 flew from Taipei to Kinmen. After a normal landing at Kinmen 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.
-
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.
References
References
- "[http://www.mandarin-airlines.com/en/about_us_mandarin.htm About Us]." ''Mandarin Airlines''. Retrieved on 7 March 2010.
- (2007-04-10). "Directory: World Airlines". [[Flight International]].
- "[http://www.mandarin-airlines.com/english/index.html Home]." Mandarin Airlines. Retrieved on 8 August 2014. "{{lang. zh-Hant. 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"
- "[http://www.mandarin-airlines.com/english/contactus.htm Contact Us]." Mandarin Airlines. Retrieved on 15 March 2010. "{{lang. zh-Hant. 台北總公司: 105台北市民生東路三段134號13樓."
- "[http://www.mandarin-airlines.com/en/about_us_cis.htm Our business mark and concept of operations]." ''Mandarin Airlines''.
- "Route Maps". Mandarin Airlines.
- "Mandarin Airlines flies to over 30 destinations". mandarinairlines.
- "Mandarin Airlines ends Lijiang service". Routesonline.
- (9 December 2014). "China Airlines Group Adds Cebu Charter Service from Jan 2015".
- (7 May 2010). "Mandarin Airlines keeps Kaohsiung – Laoag in S10".
- "Mandarin Airlines S19 Taichung – Hanoi frequency changes".
- https://www.emirates.com/english/travel-partners/
- "Mandarin Airlines Expands China Airlines Codeshare From late-May 2025".
- "Partner Airlines' Benefit".
- (September 2025). "Global Airline Guide 2025 – Mandarin Airlines".
- (18 July 2017). "Taiwan's Mandarin Airlines buys six ATR 72-600s".
- (20 June 2023). "Taiwan's Mandarin Airlines buys six ATR 72-600s".
- "華信航空 Mandarin Airlines".
- link. (2007-09-29 15 May 2007)
- link. [[Liberty Times]]. (2009-10-28)
- Dron, Alan. (19 July 2017). "Taiwan's Mandarin Airlines opts for ATR 72-600s".
- (14 September 2013). "Report: Long touchdown of ERJ-190 on wet runway causes runway excursion and nosegear collapse – ASN News". ASN News.
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