Market Intelligence: -Airline Aircraft Orders

Toulouse, France – Mandarin Airlines, the regional subsidiary of Taiwan’s flag carrier China Airlines, and the world’s number one regional aircraft manufacturer ATR, announced the signature of a firm order for one ATR 72-600, underscoring the airline’s unwavering confidence in ATR as the optimal platform for the island’s domestic operations.

This strategic agreement comes swiftly on the heels of the order for six ATR 72-600 placed at last year’s Paris Air Show. Delivery of the additional aircraft is scheduled for the first quarter of 2026, to meet Mandarin Airlines’ peak season demand. Three of the six aircraft from the previous order have been delivered, while deliveries of the next three will take place in the third and fourth quarter of 2025.

The cutting-edge turboprop will complement the airline’s existing fleet of 12 ATR 72-600. Operating primarily from its main hub at Taipei Songshan Airport, Mandarin Airlines plays a pivotal role in Taiwan’s domestic network, offering essential connections to eight key destinations, including the islands of Kinmen, Penghu and Matsu. Reliable air services ensure consistent access to essential goods, services, and transportation for residents and businesses, in addition to stimulating economic growth and fostering social integration.

Chairman of Mandarin Airlines, Kao Shing-Hwang, expressed his enthusiasm for the fleet expansion, stating: “The addition of this new ATR 72-600 underscores our confidence in ATR as the preferred platform to serve the island’s domestic markets responsibly. The turboprop’s exceptional fuel efficiency, low operating costs and reliability make it the perfect choice to strengthen our current routes and explore new services to further stimulate the local economy and tourism sector across Taiwan.”

Nathalie Tarnaud Laude, Chief Executive Officer of ATR, added: “Mandarin Airlines has been consistently unlocking new opportunities for the Taiwanese communities in a responsible and cost-effective manner over the past seven years. We are grateful for their continued trust in ATR’s capabilities, which stands as a testament to the relevance of our product for their operations, and are strongly committed to providing them with continuous support, ensuring reliable and profitable operations long into the future.”

About Mandarin Airlines
Mandarin Airlines was established on June 1, 1991. Mandarin Airlines’ parent company, China Airlines, the flag carrier of the Republic of China owns 96.96% of Mandarin Airlines. At the moment, Mandarin Airlines serves a domestic network of major cities and outlying islands as Taipei-Songshan, Taichung, Kaohsiung, Kinmen, Matsu, Penghu, Taitung and Hualien. In addition to this, Mandarin also serves destinations in Asia and China by leasing China Airlines’ narrow-body jets.

About ATR
ATR is the world number one regional aircraft manufacturer with its ATR 42 and 72, the best-selling aircraft in the below 90-seat market segment. The unifying vision of the company is to accelerate sustainable connections for people, communities and businesses, no matter how remote. Flown by some 200 airlines in over 100 countries, ATR aircraft opened 160 new routes in 2023, facilitating the development of territories and enabling access to crucial services like healthcare and education. Thanks to ATR’s focus on continuous innovation and the intrinsic efficiency of the turboprop technology, ATR aircraft are the most advanced, versatile, cost-effective and lowest-emission regional aircraft on the market, emitting 45% less CO2 than similar-size regional jets. In January 2022, we flew the first ever commercial aircraft using 100% SAF in both engines. ATR is a joint-venture between Airbus and Leonardo.

Source: ATR
Photo Credit: ATR