Tigerair Taiwan takes delivery of nation's first A320neo

Taipei, April 8 (CNA) Tigerair Taiwan, a subsidiary of Taiwan's China Airlines (CAL), took delivery of the country's first Airbus A320neo jet on Thursday, adding that it could be flying domestically within a few months.

The narrow-body aircraft will first be leased to Mandarin Airlines, another CAL subsidiary and used on domestic routes possibly during the summer, said Tigerair Taiwan Chairman Kevin Chen (陳漢銘).

Seats will be available for NT$2,000 (US$70) on routes to Penghu and Kinmen islands once the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) completes the required process of confirming the aircraft's airworthiness, Chen said.

Tigerair Taiwan expects to purchase 15 more A320neo over the next four to five years, to replace its existing A320 models, Chen said.

"The arrival of the first A320neo symbolizes that Tigerair Taiwan has reached the next milestone, as well as the re-upgrading of international civil aviation services," he said during a delivery ceremony.

As of last month, the airline had a fleet of 11 A320 aircraft.

The livery on the new aircraft is not only decorated with Tigerair Taiwan's logo and a tiger-stripe on the empennage, which are symbols for the company, but also "AIRBUS A320neo," the official symbol of the Airbus neo family.

According to the airline, the custom-made livery is intended to showcase the company's first A320neo.

Tigerair Taiwan said that compared with other single-aisle aircraft, the A320neo offers the widest cabin in its category, while also delivering an 18 percent reduction in fuel consumption and 50 percent less noise.