China Airlines: The Fleet Between Airbus A350s and the New Boeing 777-9s Arriving by 2029

History and positioning

The logo with the plum blossom, Taiwan's national flower, has accompanied China Airlines since its founding and visually distinguishes it from its smaller sister airline, Mandarin Airlines. As a flag carrier, it operates both an intercontinental network to North America and Europe and a very dense regional network to the rest of Asia-Pacific, reflecting Taiwan's role as a logistics and commercial hub of the region.

The fleet

The current fleet includes 16 Airbus A321neos on short haul, and 16 Airbus A330-300s, 15 Airbus A350-900s and 10 Boeing 777-300ERs on long haul. The most recent orders cover ten Airbus A350-1000s and ten Boeing 777-9s, the latter with an option for five more and accompanied by an order for four 777-8F freighters; however, deliveries of the 777-9s are not expected before 2029, so the impact on the passenger network will remain marginal for several years. In the meantime, since December 2024 the airline has announced a complete refit of the interiors of its 15 existing A350-900s, with the first updated aircraft starting in 2027 and completion scheduled for 2028.

Routes and network

On long haul, China Airlines links Taipei to several North American cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Vancouver and Toronto, as well as European destinations such as Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Rome and Vienna. On its European routes in particular, the airline alternates between the A350-900 and the Boeing 777-300ER at certain times of year depending on demand: since September 2025, for example, Vienna and Prague have been served with the 777-300ER instead of the A350 to handle an increase in demand, while on San Francisco the reverse has happened.

Loyalty program

The Dynasty Flyer loyalty program lets frequent flyers earn and redeem miles not only on China Airlines flights but across the entire SkyTeam network, including Air France, KLM, Delta and the alliance's other airlines, a significant advantage for anyone who regularly travels between Taiwan and the intercontinental destinations covered by partners.

Connecting Taiwan to North America or Europe while taking advantage of SkyTeam benefits is China Airlines' strong point; anyone looking for the newest aircraft will have to wait a few more years, since the new Boeing 777-9s will not enter service before 2029. Before booking a seasonal European route, it is worth checking which aircraft is actually assigned to the flight, because the airline periodically alternates Airbus A350s and Boeing 777-300ERs on the same route depending on expected demand.