TransAsia Airways
TransAsia Airways was a Taiwanese airline based in Neihu District in Taipei. Though the company started its operations focusing mainly on the Taiwanese domestic market, it operated on many scheduled international routes and focused mainly on Southeast- and Northeast Asia and cross-strait flights at the time of closure.
TransAsia suspended operations and shut down indefinitely on 22 November 2016 after a pair of hull loss incidents that occurred within months. Its low-cost-carrier subsidiary V Air already ceased operations in October 2016.
History
Foshing Airlines
On 21 May 1951, FOSHIN TRANSPORT CORP. was formed as the first private civil airline in Taiwan, flying the Taipei - Hualien - Taitung - Kaohsiung route. It also served as local agent of foreign airlines and provided airport ground handling services for foreign airlines.On 16 October 1958, the management of the airline decided to concentrate their attention on their agency businesses, domestic services ceased, and strengthen the agency business. It established its airline meal catering services at Song Shan Airport in 1966.
TransAsia Airways
In 1983, as part of the restructuring, the English translation was changed to "TransAsia Airways"; the Chinese name remained the same. In 1988, Domestic flights resumed, after a 30-year absence from the market.In 1991, the first ATR 72 aircraft joined the airline. In 1992, unscheduled charter services to international destinations, including Laoag, Manila, Cebu, Phnom Penh, Surabaya, Yangon, Phuket, Danang and Manado started. The Airbus A320 joined the fleet, becoming the airline's first jet. In 1995, First scheduled international services started to Macau and Surabaya. In early 2012, the airline was reported to be considering an order for Airbus A380 aircraft to facilitate expansion to the United States.
On 1 November 2011, TransAsia Airways was listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange. In May 2013, the headquarters moved from Datong District, Taipei to Neihu District, Taipei.
In January 2014, the airline announced plans to launch a budget airline named V Air. It commenced operations in December of that year. However, the budget airline closed on 1 October 2016 and merged with TransAsia.
On 21 November 2016, due to a financial crisis caused by two hull losses Flight 222 and Flight 235, the airline suspended all of its operations and refunded ticketed passengers. The trading of its stock was suspended simultaneously. The next day, the airline announced an indefinite suspension of operations and refunded all passengers with outstanding tickets. As of 2017, some of TransAsia airway's routes have been reopened by EVA air, specifically Taipei Song Shan to Chongqing, Hangzhou and Tianjin.
On 11 January 2017 the company's shareholders voted to liquidate it.
On 29 June 2018, the company entered bankruptcy.
Corporate affairs
Ground services
Besides flight operations, the airline undertook ground handling and ticketing for a number of foreign airlines, such as Thai Airways, Jetstar Airways, XiamenAir, Sichuan Airlines and Cebu Pacific Air. In addition, private jet service was also part of agency services. Since 2006, the airline has cooperated with International SOS to serve medical flights between Mainland China and Taiwan. The airline began its catering service near the Taipei SongShan Airport in 1966 and officially named as TransAsia Catering Services in 2002. Legend Travel Service Ltd which found in 2011 was to provide travel and tourism related services under the airline group resources.Brand and livery
TransAsia Airways introduced a new livery for both staff and aircraft in 2012. Former Shiatzy Chen designer Yin Pei Gun was responsible for the new cabin attendant and ground staff uniforms that appeared on August. The new plane's livery which design by Pace Design, a local Taipei company, was to be painted on the new Airbus A330, A321ceo, A321neo, and ATR 72-600.Destinations
As of November 2016, when it ceased its operations, TransAsia Airways served the following destinations:| Country | City | Airport | Notes |
| China, mainland | Changsha | Changsha Huanghua International Airport | |
| China, mainland | Chongqing | Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport | |
| China, mainland | Fuzhou | Fuzhou Changle International Airport | |
| China, mainland | Guiyang | Guiyang Longdongbao International Airport | |
| China, mainland | Hangzhou | Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport | |
| China, mainland | Hefei | Hefei Xinqiao International Airport | |
| China, mainland | Nanning | Nanning Wuxu International Airport | |
| China, mainland | Shanghai | Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport | |
| China, mainland | Shanghai | Shanghai Pudong International Airport | |
| China, mainland | Tianjin | Tianjin Binhai International Airport | |
| China, mainland | Wuhan | Wuhan Tianhe International Airport | |
| China, mainland | Wuxi | Sunan Shuofang International Airport | |
| China, mainland | Xiamen | Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport | |
| China, mainland | Xuzhou | Xuzhou Guanyin Airport | |
| China, mainland | Zhangjiajie | Zhangjiajie Hehua Airport | |
| Japan | Asahikawa | Asahikawa Airport | |
| Japan | Hakodate | Hakodate Airport | |
| Japan | Naha | Naha Airport | |
| Japan | Osaka | Kansai International Airport | |
| Japan | Sapporo | New Chitose Airport | |
| Japan | Sendai | Sendai Airport | |
| Japan | Tokyo | Narita International Airport | |
| South Korea | Jeju | Jeju International Airport | |
| Taiwan | Hualien | Hualien Airport | |
| Taiwan | Kaohsiung | Kaohsiung International Airport | |
| Taiwan | Kinmen | Kinmen Airport | |
| Taiwan | Makung | Makung Airport | |
| Taiwan | Taichung | Taichung International Airport | |
| Taiwan | Taipei | Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport | |
| Taiwan | Taipei | Taipei Songshan Airport | |
| Thailand | Chiang Mai | Chiang Mai International Airport |
Before its dissolution, TransAsia Airways was to open routes to Fukuoka, Busan, and Bangkok on December 2016.
Codeshare agreements
TransAsia Airways had codeshare agreements with the following airlines:- Shenzhen Airlines
- Sichuan Airlines
- XiamenAir
Fleet
Historically, TransAsia also operated the following aircraft:
- Airbus A320
- Airbus A321
- Airbus A330
- ATR 42
Services
Business Class
The business class seating offered on the Airbus A330-300 was in a 2-2-2 configuration, using seats with a 172-degree recline. Each seat had an AVOD system with a 15.4-inch monitor, AC and USB sockets, adjustable reading lights and multiple storage bins.The seats on the Airbus A320-200 and Airbus A321-100 used a 2-2 seating configuration, with a 160-degree recline.
Economy Class
Economy Class was in a 2-4-2 configuration on the Airbus A330; a 3-3 configuration on the Airbus A320 and Airbus A321; and a 2-2 configuration on the ATR series. The seats had a pitch of 30 to 32 inches and a 6-degree recline. The AVOD system was only on the Airbus A330, with a 9-inch monitor.In-flight amenities
The In-flight entertainment system of TransAsia Airways was named as Sky Legend, uses Panasonic's eX2 IFE system. It contained real-time flight information, music, movies and video games. Available languages were English, Japanese, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese. Renaissance was the in-flight magazine published by TransAsia Airways; it had content in Traditional Chinese, English and Japanese. The magazine introduces culture, arts, food, people, design and style from across its destinations.Accidents and incidents
- On 30 January 1995, a TransAsia Airways ATR 72-200 crashed into a hillside during flight from Penghu to Taipei. All four crew members died.
- On 6 January 1996, a man, disappointed with domestic political and social developments in Taiwan, hijacked TransAsia Airways Flight 529, an Airbus A321-131, en route to Tainan. He gave a note to one of the flight attendants, claiming to have a bomb. He demanded that the aircraft be flown to Fujian Province, China. The hijacker agreed to allow the crew to land the aircraft in Tainan for refueling; he was arrested after the aircraft landed.
- On December 21, 2002, Flight 791, an ATR 72-200, crashed due to icing, during a flight from Taipei to Macau. Both crew members died. The aircraft encountered severe icing conditions beyond the certification envelope of the aircraft for such conditions; and crashed into the sea 17 km southwest of Makung city. The investigation by the Aviation Safety Council of Taiwan found that the crash was caused by ice accumulation around the aircraft's major components, resulting in the crew losing control. The investigation identified that flight crew did not respond to the severe icing conditions with the appropriate alert situation awareness and did not take the necessary actions.
- On March 21, 2003, Flight 543, an Airbus A321-131, collided with a truck while landing at Tainan Airport at the end of a flight from Taipei Songshan Airport. The truck trespassed onto the runway without its occupants noticing the incoming aircraft. None of the 175 passengers and crew died or were injured but the two people inside the truck were injured in the collision. The aircraft was severely damaged in the accident and was written off.
- On 19 July 2005, Flight 028, an ATR 72-212A, landed at Taipei Songshan Airport. As the aircraft taxied on Taxiway CC after landing, it made an early right turn onto a service road. The aircraft's right wing hit a light pole and stopped. Two pilots, 2 cabin attendants and 24 passengers were on board. One cabin crew member suffered a minor injury. The front spar of the right wing was damaged.
- On July 23, 2014, Flight 222, an ATR 72-500 registered B-22810 carrying 54 passengers and 4 crew members from Kaohsiung to Magong, crashed near Magong Airport on Penghu Island. Forty-eight people were confirmed dead while at least seven of the eleven survivors were seriously injured. Some reports suggest there were also five casualties on the ground when the aircraft impacted residential buildings. This crash is the deadliest for the airline. The cause was the pilot's intentional descent below the minimum descent altitude during an approach in a typhoon by Typhoon Matmo.
- On February 4, 2015, Flight 235, an ATR 72-600 registered B-22816, had an engine failure after takeoff and crashed at 10:56a.m. local time into the Keelung River near Taipei, killing 43 of the 53 passengers and 5 crew on board. This was the second deadly crash in eight months for the airline, prompting an order to ground all of the airline's ATR pilots until they had successfully taken part in an oral exam about emergency procedures.