Taiwan’s China Airlines takes first A321neo

China Airlines (CI, Taipei Taoyuan) took delivery of its first of twenty-five A321-200NXs on November 29, 2021, although it has yet to ferry the aircraft to Taipei Taoyuan.

B-18101 (msn 10730) is leased from Air Lease Corporation and is configured for up to 180 passengers, including twelve lie-flat business class seats and 168 economy class seats. The Taiwanese carrier said that while eventually, the A321neo will become the backbone of its regional fleet, it would also be useful in the current pandemic business model. As Taiwan remains largely closed to international travel, China Airlines has turned to the cargo market, and the A321neo will offer up to 20% more bellyhold capacity than the current B737-800s operated by the airline.

The ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows that China Airlines plans to take deliveries of another five A321-200NXs by the end of 2021. Out of the carrier’s total order of 25, six will be delivered via Air Lease Corporation, eight via CALC, and the remaining eleven directly from Airbus to the airline.

The carrier’s current narrowbody fleet comprises eighteen B737-800s, of which fifteen are dry-leased from various lessors. Low-cost carrier subsidiary, Tigerair Taiwan (IT, Taipei Taoyuan), operates Airbus narrowbodies – currently eleven A320-200s and two A320-200Ns, with eleven more -200Ns on order from the manufacturer. China Airlines is the second Taiwanese A321-200NX operator after Starlux Airlines, which has five in its fleet.