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12 EVA Air was the launch customer of the Boeing 787 in Taiwan , with the first unit arriving in September 2018 . // MICHAEL RODEBACK
13 Spelled as “ E-V-A Air ”, this airline was created as an air transport subsidiary for the enormous logistics of the Evergreen Group . // AIRBUS S . A . S .
14 This KLM Asia Boeing 777-200ER , PH-BQM , doesn ’ t fly either with the Dutch or European Union flag .
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However , the company met the same sanctions as the rest of its Western peers and had to delegate its mainland China operation to its own subsidiary : Mandarin Airlines ( AE ).
To avoid annoying the PRC , it too had to drop its national marks and flag from its livery and brand . Therefore , since 1995 , the symbol that has represented China Airlines is the famous ‘ plum blossom ’ flower , one of the most representative aspects of the nature and people of the island of Taiwan .
Ever since , China Airlines airplanes have kept the Taiwan flag off their livery , and all airframes belonging to Taiwanese carriers have been forced by the United Nations to fall under the registration system of the People ’ s Republic
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of China . The name , though , remains as a defiant sign that the Republic of China regards itself as the true China .
CHINA AND TAIWAN TODAY
The People ’ s Republic of China has significantly reduced political pressure on Taiwan in some aspects of air travel . For example , even though the PRC regards Taiwan as a ‘ rebel province of China ’, it treats passengers flying to the ROC as international passengers , putting them in the same group as those flying to Hong Kong or Macau .
The largest airlines in the ROC , China Airlines and EVA Air ( BR ), are also free to put forth and plan routes to the mainland from Taiwan , and currently operate around 14 connections from Taipei to cities like
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Beijing , Shanghai , Guangzhou , and Chengdu with multiple weekly frequencies , using highcapacity airplanes .
Despite its geopolitical situation , Taipei has never stopped being a very influential hub for the manufacturing of electronic components . It therefore generates some of the biggest business travel numbers in the whole of Asia .
That has been a strong incentive for the Taiwan carriers to improve the quality and luxury of their flights . It has also spurred the founding of new high-end airlines such as Starlux ( JX ), specially intended for business travelers . In addition , Taiwan ’ s spectacular landscapes and rich culture have helped it rise as a very popular tourism destination for Europeans .
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Over the years , most of the aforementioned ‘ Asian ’ subsidiaries of Western airlines have either been closed down or merged into their parent companies . With the arrival of the trend of privatizing flag carriers Air France , KLM , Qantas , and Japan Airlines , the governments of their respective countries were no longer at risk of deteriorating diplomatic relations with the PRC . |
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Today , KLM Asia is the only such subsidiary still flying , though only symbolically showcasing its message across the world , as all its aircraft have been reincorporated into its parent KLM . As of November 2024 , you can still spot around eight Boeing 777 family airframes and appreciate the absence of the flag and royal crown on their tails , replaced with the word ‘ Asia ’ under the KLM logo . |