TAIPEI (TVBS News) — China Airlines (華航), Taiwan's largest international carrier, commemorated three decades of service between Taipei and Rome with an elaborate celebration at Leonardo da Vinci International Airport on Wednesday (July 2). The milestone event was jointly orchestrated by Aeroporti di Roma (ADR), Italy's largest airport operator, and China Airlines executives. This aviation partnership has connected Taiwan to one of Europe's major cultural and economic hubs since 1995.
The ceremonial event drew several dignitaries, including Anthony Chung-Yi Ho (賀忠義), Taiwan's ambassador to the Vatican, and Huang Jui-lung (黃瑞龍), deputy representative of the Taipei Representative Office in Italy (Ufficio di Rappresentanza di Taipei in Italia), Taiwan's de facto embassy in the absence of formal diplomatic relations. Tung Hsi-wen (董希文), China Airlines' Italy branch general manager, welcomed guests alongside Federico Scriboni, who oversees aviation business development for ADR. During his address, Huang articulated an ambitious vision for expanding the current three weekly flights to daily service by 2026.
In his commemorative speech, Tung chronicled the route's evolution through three decades of service, recalling earlier years when flights required technical stopovers in Abu Dhabi, Bangkok, or Delhi. The service transformed fundamentally in early 2018 when China Airlines deployed its state-of-the-art Airbus A350 fleet, enabling non-stop service between the Taiwanese capital and Rome while increasing weekly frequency from two to three flights. Attendees celebrated the occasion with a custom-designed cake molded into the number "30" and served specialty coffee to passengers embarking on the return journey to Taiwan, gestures representing the carrier's dedication to customer experience and service quality.
Aviation analysts view this anniversary as strategically significant as China Airlines positions itself for post-pandemic growth in the European market. The Taiwan-Italy air corridor represents a crucial link in the carrier's global network, supporting both tourism and business travel between East Asia and Southern Europe. Company executives indicated that fleet modernization and route expansion remain central to their long-term strategy for European operations. ◼