China Airlines launches direct flights from Chiang Mai to Taiwan

Taiwan-based China Airlines commenced nonstop flights between Chiang Mai in northern Thailand to Taiwan on Friday.

A 180-seat Airbus A321neo will service the four-hour route four days a week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

Flight CI851 from Taiwan’s Taoyuan International Airport (TPE), servicing Taipei City, to Chiang Mai will take off at 08.05am and touch down in Chiang Mai at 11.15am.

Flight CI852 departs from Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX) at 12.15pm and lands in Taiwan at 16.40pm.

The route’s debut has been a long time coming since the state-owned flag carrier planned to launch the flights in June 2020 and then again in October 2021, but faced Covid-19 related delays.

Other airlines servicing the route include AirAsia and Taiwanese airline EVA Air.

The Chiang Mai – Taoyuan route boosts China Airlines’ total number of round-trip flights between Taiwan and Thailand to 27 per week.

China Airlines operates 18 weekly flights on the Taipei-Bangkok route and five weekly flights on the Kaohsiung-Bangkok route.

In a press release, the airline said it hopes the route boosts convenience for business and tourist travel between the two regions…

“The launch of the Chiang Mai route will not only benefit Taiwanese travellers heading to the city but China Airlines is also targeting the market for North American and European travellers transiting through Taiwan on the way to Thailand.”

China Airlines recently launched a direct service between Taipei and Da Nang in Vietnam, also operated on a 180-seater Airbus A321neo.

Compared to Q3 last year, China Airlines has increased its flight capacity by 30%, adding more flights to Shanghai Pudong, Beijing and Xiamen.

The frequency of flights from Taipei to Los Angeles and back has also increased to once a day. Regional services have also expanded.

Budget airline Thai VietJet will launch direct flights between Chiang Mai and Osaka in Japan next month.