China Airlines and the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA) announced schedule changes for flights between Ontario and Taiwan beginning next week, a move that will enable passengers to reach more connecting flights to destinations across Asia.
Effective Sept. 17, China Airlines flight CI23 will depart Ontario International Airport (ONT) at 11:50 p.m. and arrive at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) at 5:00 a.m. local time two days later. The return flight, CI24, will depart TPE at 6:00 p.m. local time, arriving ONT at 3:10 p.m.
While scheduled departure and arrivals may be adjusted in the future, officials stressed that early morning arrivals to TPE will enable passengers to make connections to South East Asia, Japan, Korea and China more conveniently.
“The global aviation marketplace is dynamic to say the least and it is important that airlines and airports adjust as customer demands change,” said Julia Gouw, an OIAA commissioner and former president of East West Bank, a full-service commercial bank which focuses on the Chinese American community.
“We are pleased to support our China Airlines partner in making the flight schedule adjustments that will better serve the needs of passengers whose travel continues beyond TPE to commercial centers throughout Asia,” Gouw added.
Customers have responded enthusiastically to the daily ONT-TPE service, which launched in March, particularly the ease of access to ONT and shorter security screening times.
“This saves me so much time,” said one China Airlines ONT passenger in a social media post. “No more horrible LA traffic.”
Another ONT international passenger said, “The line is so much shorter there and the TSA check is so much faster.”
China Airlines began roundtrip service between ONT and TPE in March arriving daily into Ontario at 1:20 p.m. pacific time with a return flight to TPE departing at 4:15 p.m., arriving TPE at 8:55 p.m. the next day. The China Airlines service was Ontario’s first non-stop, transoceanic passenger service.
TPE is the primary International gateway airport for the New Taipei–Keelung–Taoyuan City metro area, with more than nine million residents, while ONT is the closest and most convenient international airport for more than 10 million Southern California residents in the Inland Empire, northern Orange County, and eastern Los Angeles County.
