Mandarin Airlines chair Chen Ta-chun (陳大鈞) said the carrier’s Kaohsiung to Hualien route is operating at just 20 percent capacity, while the Taichung to Hualien route averages 30 percent. As for the Taipei to Hualien route operated by other airlines, the load factor stands at only 10 percent, he added. International routes generally require a load factor of 60 to 65 percent to break even, while domestic routes need about 92 to 94 percent, he said. Mandarin Airlines’ revenue comes from international routes, domestic routes and ground handling services. Based on domestic route revenue of about NT$3 billion, a 10 percent fare increase could generate an additional NT$300 million in revenue, it added.

Source: Taipei Times January 22, 2026 17:12 UTC