China Airlines (CI, Taipei Taoyuan) is considering its options insofar as replacements for its fleet of B737-800s six of which are now approaching twenty years of age.

According to CAPA, among its options, the Taiwanese carrier is considering the A320neo as it believes an order with Airbus (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac) could curry enough favour with the French government to grant it Paris traffic rights. This would then allow it to compete with rival EVA Air (BR, Taipei Taoyuan) which already operates a daily Taipei Taoyuan-Paris CDG return service.

China Airlines operates a total of twenty B737-800s which it uses on flights throughout Taiwan as well as to Thailand, China, Hong Kong, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Cambodia.