FORMOSA AIRLINES with 23 aircraft, has the largest fleet of Taiwan's domestic airlines. It has two Saab 340As, six Saab 340Bs, three Fokker 50s, seven Dornier 228s and two Pilatus Britten-Norman BN-2 Islanders. Another Fokker 50 will be delivered in November. Two Fokker 100s will be delivered, one in December and one in January 1996, while the first of four Dornier 328s, will arrive in January.
The Fokker 100s will be used initially on the Taipei-Kaohsiung route, completing the switch on that route to jet aircraft. They will later be used on any overseas routes Formosa decides to pursue, including, possibly to China. Formosa carried 1 million passengers in 1994, and plans to carry 1.3 million this year. It provides 8% of the available seats on Taiwan's domestic routes.
Far Eastern Air Transport has a fleet of 14 aircraft, including four Boeing 737-200s, two 757-200s and eight McDonnell Douglas MD-82s. Two more MD-82s will arrive by the end of year. The airline plans to lease an additional 757. Those aircraft will be used on domestic flights and overseas charters. It carried 4.5 million passengers in 1994, and has set a target of 5.3 million passengers this year. It supplies 32% of Taiwan's domestic seats.
Great China Airlines has an exclusive Bombardier de Havilland fleet: four Dash 8-100s and ten larger Dash 8-300s, with one more due to be delivered by the end of the year. It plans to double its fleet, and signed an order for 12 additional Dash-8s at the Paris air show in June. It has launched three new routes from its base in Taichung, and added frequencies to existing routes. Great China provides 10% of Taiwan's seats.
TransAsia Airways is the most ambitious. It now flies 23 aircraft: three ATR 42s, 12 ATR 72s, six Airbus A320s, and one A321. The A320s have all been added this year, and TransAsia plans to add five more A321s by the end of 1996. The second A321 was scheduled to arrive on 23 October. TransAsia's share of seats is 27%.
Even little China Asia Airlines, which now operates a single Shorts 360, is expanding. It has a new owner, a new name and big plans: it is now called U-Land Airlines, and will take delivery of two MD-82s in November. Rounding out the list are Makung Airlines, which flies five BAe 146s and two BAe 748s; and Taiwan Airlines, which flies five Pilatus Britten-Norman BN-2 Islanders, and two BN-3 Trislanders. They supply 11% and 1% of Taiwan's seats, respectively.
Formosa, Great China, Far Eastern, and TransAsia operate 71 of the 84 aircraft which criss-cross the 395 x 120km island, not counting China Airlines and Eva, which provide 7% and 5% of domestic seats. Despite fierce competition and unorthodox marketing, these four are making money.
The most profitable is Far Eastern, which reportedly earned NT$1.3 billion, in 1995. The airline will not confirm the figure, but Ong Liu of the planning and development department affirms that the airline is making money.
Formosa Airlines will not offer a dollar figure, but Ford Chang, vice-president of procurement and international development, says that the airline is in the black. Great China made NT$140 million in 1994, while TransAsia made NT$500 million. Neither is satisfied, but TransAsia expects NT$750 million profit for 1995.
Source: Flight International
