CAL to launch direct flights to Seattle on July 14

Taipei, March 12 (CNA) China Airlines (CAL) will add the United States Pacific Northwest to its network of destinations starting July 14, when it begins nonstop service between Taoyuan and Seattle, the Taiwanese carrier said Tuesday.

It will operate five flights a week using an Airbus A350-900, with departures every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from Taoyuan International Airport at 11:30 p.m., arriving in Seattle at 7:50 p.m. (local time) the same day, the carrier said in a statement.

The return flight will take off at 1:40 a.m. (local time) from Seattle and arrive at Taoyuan at 5:05 a.m. the following day, it said.

The addition of non-stop service to Seattle represents an important step in the airline's expansion of its North American network as it seeks to take advantage of the strong demand for travel between the U.S. and Taiwan, CAL said.

According to the airline, more than 50 million travelers passed through Seattle Airport in 2023, making it the largest airport in the northwestern United States.

CAL currently flies 40 weekly return fights to five major cities in North America -- Los Angeles, Ontario (California), San Francisco, New York, and Vancouver.

Also Tuesday, EVA Airways (EVA Air) said it will launch its first daily round-trip flights between Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan and Hong Kong in the next two months using an A321-200.

The first daily flight, to begin on April 12, will depart from Kaohsiung at 9:15 a.m. and leave Hong Kong at 12:05 p.m.

A second daily flight between the two destinations will be added starting May 15. It will leave Kaohsiung at 4:45 p.m. and depart from Hong Kong on the return leg at 7:25 p.m., EVA Air said in a news release.

EVA Air currently operates 53 weekly flights between Taoyuan and Hong Kong.