CAL to partner with Southwest Airlines to expand North America network

New Delhi, June 2 (CNA) China Airlines (CAL), one of Taiwan's major carriers, announced Monday a new partnership with U.S.-based Southwest Airlines to expand its trans-Pacific transfer network and strengthen its presence in North America.

"We hope this will be a powerful partnership between two strong players," CAL President Kevin Chen (陳漢銘) told CNA at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) General Assembly, which opened Sunday in New Delhi.

Thanks to Southwest's extensive domestic network, CAL passengers flying nonstop from Taiwan to major U.S. West Coast cities will soon be able to connect seamlessly to over 30 inland destinations, CAL said, without giving details on when the partnership will take effect.

Southwest Airlines operates the fourth-largest fleet in the world and is the largest domestic carrier in the United States by passenger volume, but it is not part of any international airline alliance.

According to CAL, this collaboration is Southwest's first partnership with Asia and will link CAL's long-haul trans-Pacific capacity with Southwest's broad U.S. domestic network.

The partnership will focus on four major U.S. gateways -- Los Angeles (LAX), Ontario, California (ONT), San Francisco (SFO), and Seattle (SEA) -- with onward connections to key cities such as Las Vegas, Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, Denver, Atlanta and Chicago.

In the near future, travelers will be able to book interline tickets that combine CAL and Southwest flights via CAL's website or major travel agencies. These tickets will offer through check-in and baggage handling to the final destination.

CAL's existing North American network covers Los Angeles, Ontario, San Francisco, New York, Seattle and Vancouver, the carrier said, and the new agreement with Southwest is expected to significantly boost connectivity to the Midwest and East Coast.