China Airlines - “safe”?

[jboy90]

After witnessing good availability on China Airlines to Taipei (a dream destination of mine), I wanted to get thoughts on their safety.

I know they’ve had a number of fatal crashes (many years ago now), and I’ve read some descriptions of some flyers avoiding the airline since then as a result. I’ve also read how the difference in culture and English not as a first language has played a role in past fatalities across some Asian airlines.

Obviously a number of people here are comfortable flying with them. Can I safely assume they’re safe to fly now and have learnt lessons from their past? (I’m hoping for a yes so I can book some business awards)!

 

[henrus]

I'm no expert on airline safety but I have and would happily fly them again. At the moment I'd be more concerned about Indonesian based airlines.

Obviously there is an element of risk involved in any activity with flying being no exception but statistically it's still safer than driving. The last fatal incident was about 17 years ago and since then millions have traveled on them without any problems (Last year alone China Airlines carried ~15 million passengers).

 

[jase05]

Have flown with them several times and wouldn’t hesitate to do so again. Although not an expert on safety matters my understanding is that their recent record is quite good.

 

[jb747]

Have flown with them several times and wouldn’t hesitate to do so again. Although not an expert on safety matters my understanding is that their recent record is quite good.

You mean they haven't crashed recently....

 

[jase05]

You mean they haven't crashed recently....

That too
Take it you aren’t a fan of CI?
Obviously you have more of an insight than most, is there something passengers should be worried about?

 

[jb747]

Just type this into google...."china airlines accidents and incidents".

Airlines all have a culture, and it's that culture that decides how safe an airline is. It is not established by a management that "says safety is our first priority", though management can actively destroy an established culture. It's rather like a family. Kids (new pilots) are brought up by their parents (the old grey pilots). Attitudes are actively passed down.

 

[flyer89]

Airlines all have a culture, and it's that culture that decides how safe an airline is. It is not established by a management that "says safety is our first priority", though management can actively destroy an established culture. It's rather like a family. Kids (new pilots) are brought up by their parents (the old grey pilots). Attitudes are actively passed down.

One of your colleagues on the 380, also now retired was recently telling me about HR’s attempt to influence who was appointed where within the training department. Apparently the SCC was having none of it.

 

[AisleSeat]

I know they’ve had a number of fatal crashes (many years ago now)

The one from '93, where the plane overran Kai Tak runway. I remember driving past it when it was still in the water and thinking it was such a weird thing to see. My friend's dad was involved in blowing up the tail fin.

 

[jb747]

One of your colleagues on the 380, also now retired was recently telling me about HR’s attempt to influence who was appointed where within the training department. Apparently the SCC was having none of it.

HR are a pestilence.

You could improve the bottom line immensely, by firing the lot of them.

 

[Isochronous]

HR are a pestilence.

You could improve the bottom line immensely, by firing the lot of them.

I've never seen anyone I'd consider particularly intelligent or positive for the organisation working in HR type roles, but plenty of parasites, lazy freeloaders and manipulative swine!

 

[docjames]

Good HR is worth it’s weight in gold.

Sadly most companies don’t have good HR.

If executed correctly, HR makes staff happier with realistic workloads, efficient work structures with accountable and effective and timely decision making, and makes businesses more productive, but since many organisations view HR purely as an expense, and therefore to be done at the cheapest possible price, they achieve none of those things.

 

[Robert K]

Taiwan for the win.

 

[Dr Ralph]

I have a flight with them in Oct. If you don't hear from me again after that time you know why!

 

[jboy90]

Thanks for all your inputs. Greatly appreciate all views! Now to weigh them up!

 

[UP4014]

No crashes recently, but I wouldn't fly them.

 

[jch]

Going to get a QF credit card so I can redeem a trip to TPE next year

 

[UP4014]

For your purusal.

The World's Deadliest Airline Debunked

This article will take an in-depth look into the airline that has been deemed the world's deadliest, China Airlines. Can repeated crashes and excessive fatalities be written off as bad luck? Or is a pattern of destruction at play?

flightfox.com

 

[moffat39]

Just had a return flight with CI Brisbane to Vancouver.

Would not hesitate flying with them again. And also to visit Taipei again!

 

[MH_fan]

I just flew CI from SYD to YVR in J. Excellent airline. Had my first taste of them flying to AMS last year (also in J) and I was not disappointed. This flight just reaffirmed my decision to keep flying with them. My travelling companion was very surprised by how good they were and even said they were better than her experiences on EK and QF. Their safety standards have improved since those "dark" days and their new planes gives me the confidence to fly with them.

 

[jb747]

I just flew CI from SYD to YVR in J. Excellent airline. Had my first taste of them flying to AMS last year (also in J) and I was not disappointed. This flight just reaffirmed my decision to keep flying with them. My travelling companion was very surprised by how good they were and even said they were better than her experiences on EK and QF. Their safety standards have improved since those "dark" days and their new planes gives me the confidence to fly with them.

It seems to me that you’re actually talking about your cabin experience, and extrapolating that to the coughpit. The cabin may be, and probably is, wonderful, but that’s not actually relevant.

How do you know that their standards have improved?

And as for new planes, why does that give you any confidence? I’ll pick on QF here, but both QF32 and 72 were new aircraft.