Name: Huang-Hsiang Sun
Title: Chairman
Company, city: China Airlines; Taoyuan, Taiwan
Number of employees: 11,073
Recent project: Next Generation program and delivery of Boeing 777-300ERs
First job: Traffic staff of China Airlines
Little-known fact about you: I love reading historical books.
Your Business
Essential business philosophy: China Airlines is committed to delivering high-quality products and services made in Taiwan across all areas of our operation. We aim to promote Taiwan’s strengths and provide passengers with a comfortable, engaging and distinctly Taiwanese experience in the air.
Best way to keep a competitive edge: We follow the wisdom of the Chinese idiom “View the big picture while handling the details.” By remaining hands-on, attentive to detail and responsive to internal and external feedback, we pursue continuous innovation in products and processes. This approach helps us balance cost control with delivering maximum value.
Yardstick of success: Returning customers and satisfied employees are the clearest measures of our success.
Huang-Hsiang Sun as a Traveler
What is the most important item you take when traveling?
Reading materials, both contemporary and classic.
How do you spend your time on board?
Reading and relaxing to make the journey restorative.
What is your favorite restaurant in the world?
I enjoy exploring local specialties wherever I travel; sampling regional cuisine is a highlight of every trip.
What is your favorite destination in the world?
Taiwan. There is no place like home.
About China Airlines
What can travelers expect from China Airlines?
As China Airlines enters its 55th year, we are shedding an outdated image and embracing renewal with a fresh identity and energetic progress. We are introducing innovations to meet new challenges and to elevate the airline into a modern carrier that reflects Taiwan’s creativity and service excellence.
Recent fleet updates include the addition of one Airbus A330 and three Boeing 737-800 aircraft, and the delivery of 10 Boeing 777-300ERs starting last October. In 2016, Airbus A350-900s will join the fleet to replace less fuel-efficient aircraft, strengthening our long-haul competitiveness and supporting sustainable growth. We collaborated with leading Taiwanese designers to develop new-generation products rooted in Taiwan’s cultural creativity. These designs convey our core values—cultural pride, environmental stewardship, technological innovation, genuine care and reliability. As Taiwan’s largest airline, China Airlines leads the industry in operations, service quality, environmental efforts and energy efficiency, achievements reflected in numerous awards.
What makes China Airlines’ business class unique?
Our New Generation 777-300ER Premium Business Class blends Eastern aesthetics with Western sophistication. Designed in collaboration with an international design team, Boeing, an aviation seating firm and our internal experts, the cabin draws inspiration from Song Dynasty aesthetics under chief designer Ray Chen.
The cabin introduces persimmon wood-grain accents—a first in the industry—and features traditional Chinese brush paintings in the lavatories. Adjustable LED mood lighting sets a seasonal or festive tone. Seating is arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration, offering a fully flat bed and direct aisle access for every passenger. The Sky Study seat provides a relaxed, home-like atmosphere with in-flight WiFi, an 18-inch personal HDTV and an extensive entertainment selection, plus noise-canceling headphones. The Sky Lounge in the cabin’s center serves tea, coffee and pastries and stocks books that showcase Taiwan’s local culture, creating a calm refuge for travelers on long journeys. As Song Dynasty poet Lu You observed, travel includes moments of rest for the spirit.
What are future plans for China Airlines in North America?
With potential changes in transit access to and from China and the introduction of new aircraft, we are enhancing our trans-Pacific network. We began nonstop service from Taipei to New York in October and are increasing frequencies on existing routes while studying new destinations such as Seattle, Chicago, Toronto, Houston and Boston. CAL started operating 777-300ERs to Los Angeles in December and expanded to two daily flights by early this year. The New York route adopted the 777-300ER in February, and San Francisco followed in September, reflecting our commitment to strengthen service across North America.