TransAsia Airways

Foshing Airlines

On 21 May 1951, FOSHIN TRANSPORT CORP. (Foshing Airlines) was formed as the first private civil airline in Taiwan, flying the Taipei - Hualien - Taitung - Kaohsiung route. It also served as local agent for foreign airlines and provided airport ground handling services for foreign airlines.

On 16 October 1958, the management of the airline decided to concentrate its attention on the agency businesses, ceasing domestic services, and strengthening the agency business. It established its airline meal catering services at Songshan Airport (TSA) in 1966. The airline completed a restructure in 1983 and in 1988, domestic flights resumed after a 30-year absence from the market. In 1991, the first ATR 72 aircraft joined the airline.

TransAsia Airways

Upon launching international routes in January 1992, the English translation changed to "TransAsia Airways" while the Chinese name remained the same. In 1992, unscheduled charter services to international destinations, including Laoag, Manila, Cebu, Phnom Penh, Surabaya, Yangon, Phuket, Danang, and Manado, started. The Airbus A320 joined the fleet, becoming the airline's first jet aircraft.

In 1995, the first scheduled international services started to Macau and Surabaya. In early 2012, the airline was reported to be considering an order for Airbus A380 aircraft to facilitate expansion to the United States.

On 1 November 2011, TransAsia Airways was listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange. In May 2013, the headquarters moved from Datong District, Taipei to Neihu District, Taipei.

In January 2014, the airline announced plans to launch a budget airline named V Air. It commenced operations in December of that year. The budget airline closed on 1 October 2016 and merged with TransAsia.

On 21 November 2016, due to a financial crisis caused by the crashes of Flight 222 and Flight 235, the airline suspended all operations and refunded ticketed passengers. The trading of its stock was suspended simultaneously. The next day, the airline announced an indefinite suspension of operations and refunded all passengers with outstanding tickets. As of 2017, some routes operated by TransAsia Airways had been reopened by EVA Air, specifically Taipei Songshan to Chongqing, Hangzhou (operated by UNI air), and Tianjin.

On 11 January 2017, the company's shareholders voted to liquidate it.

Destinations

As of November 2016, when it ceased its operations, TransAsia Airways flew to the following destinations:

Codeshare agreements

TransAsia Airways had codeshare agreements with the following airlines:

Shenzhen Airlines

Sichuan Airlines

Accidents and incidents

30 January 1995: Flight 510A, an ATR 72-200 (registered B-22717), crashed into a hillside during flight from Penghu to Taipei. All four crew members died.

6 January 1996: Flight 529, an Airbus A321-100 en route to Tainan, was hijacked by a man, who was disappointed with domestic political and social developments in Taiwan. He gave a note to one of the flight attendants, claiming to have a bomb. He demanded that the aircraft be flown to Fujian Province, China. The hijacker agreed to allow the crew to land the aircraft in Tainan for refueling; he was arrested after the aircraft landed.

21 December 2002: Flight 791, an ATR 72-200 (registered B-22708), crashed due to icing during a flight from Taipei to Macau. Both crew members died. The aircraft encountered severe icing conditions beyond the certification envelope of the aircraft for such conditions and crashed into the sea 17 km (11 mi) southwest of Makung city. The investigation by the Aviation Safety Council of Taiwan found that the crash was caused by ice accumulation around the aircraft's major components, resulting in the crew losing control. The investigation identified that the flight crew did not respond to the severe icing conditions with the appropriate alert situation awareness and did not take the necessary actions.

21 March 2003: Flight 543, an Airbus A321-100 (registered B-22603), collided with a truck while landing at Tainan Airport at the end of a flight from Taipei Songshan Airport. The truck trespassed onto the runway without its occupants noticing the incoming aircraft. None of the 175 passengers and crew were injured but the two people inside the truck were injured in the collision. The aircraft was severely damaged in the accident and was written off.

18 October 2004:, Flight 536, an Airbus A320-200 (registered B-22310) overran runway 10 while landing at Taipei Songshan Airport and sustained damage to its landing gear and engines. All 106 people survived without any injuries. The aircraft was repaired and returned to service.

19 July 2005: Flight 028, an ATR 72-212A (registered B-22805), landed at Taipei Songshan Airport. As the aircraft taxied on Taxiway CC after landing, it made an early right turn onto a service road. The aircraft's right wing hit a light pole and stopped. Two pilots, two flight attendants, and 24 passengers were on board. One flight attendant suffered a minor injury. The front spar of the right wing was damaged.