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The new China Airlines Airbus A350-900

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[Translate to en:] Der neue Airbus A350-900 in Toulouse (c) Kurt Hofmann

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[Translate to en:] Business Class (c) Kurt Hofmann

The delivery of the first Airbus A350-900 to China Airlines also has positive effects for
Europe as well. Connoisseur Circle was at the Airbus plant in
Toulouse for the ceremonial handover.

In an exclusive interview with Connoisseur Circle, current China Airlines Chairman Nuan-Hsuan Ho says that the new flagship will reduce the average age of the China Airlines long-haul fleet to 3.6 years. For the Taipei - Vienna connection, for example, this means that from January 9th the most modern commercial aircraft in the world will be deployed in this class, finally replacing the ageing Airbus A340-300 jets.

This is an enormous improvement for the airline in terms of efficiency - the A350 is said to be a quarter more fuel-efficient than the Boeing 777 - and an enormous improvement in comfort for passengers. A total of four A350s are to be delivered to China Airlines this year, with the remaining ten to be delivered by 2018. "We still have options for six more aircraft, but first we want to check how the aircraft performs for us on the routes to Europe," says Ho. In addition to Vienna, Amsterdam and Rome will also be served by the A350, while Frankfurt will remain in the network with Boeing 777-300ERs. "In 2017, we want to operate 16 weekly frequencies from Taipei to Europe, and we are also looking into new routes, such as a comeback in London. The A350 is a milestone for us. Each A350 is expected to save us around 70 million Taiwanese dollars (2.2 million dollars) per year," says Ho.

There are a total of 306 seats on board the China Airlines A350-900, 32 of which are in a successful Premium Business Class with a 1-2-1 seating arrangement - Travel Express was the first specialist medium in Europe to test this new Business Class on board the Boeing 777-300ER - as well as 31 seats in Premium Economy and 243 in Economy.

In Business Class, subtle shades of brown and gray create a relaxed atmosphere, generously sized storage options make working easier, lie-flat configuration is a matter of course, large screens, etc. The comfortable bed during the Connoisseur Circle test flights to and from Taiwan is still a pleasant memory. As on board the Boeing 777-300ER of China Airlines, there is also a small bar called "Sky Bistro" between Business and Premium Economy Class.

The Premium Economy Class for a maximum of 31 passengers is also impressive. This is located in its own cabin section in a 2-3-2 arrangement. Here, too, there is a generous seat pitch, a benchmark in this class. Economy Class also offers significant improvements over many comparable products from the competition. Above all, the seat pitch of 86 centimetres is a record-breaker. Naturally, all three classes are equipped with the latest generation of entertainment systems.

Text: Kurt Hofmann