Air Asia (Taiwan)

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Air Asia Company Limited (亞洲航空股份有限公司) is a Republic of China-based provider of aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services. It is now located in the Tainan Airport. It is the only surviving member of Pacific Corporation, but currently it is owned by Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation and is no longer related to the CIA.

It should not be confused with AirAsia, a Malaysia-based low cost airline.

[edit] History

Air Asia was created out of Civil Air Transport (CAT) in 1955 as Air America's aircraft service unit.

In 1949, CAT, in order to prepare for the ROC government's evaculation from the mainland, bought two ships to house all aircraft maintenance equipment and parts to evaculate to Taiwan. From 1949 to 1962, these two ships were docked in Kaohsiung, and the aircraft to be serviced have to land at Tainan Airport, its parts of concern dismounted, transferred to the two ships for repair, and then brought back to the airport to remount it on the aircraft. It was only until 1962 when it its current location was opened and aircraft can be serviced directly at the airport.

Despite such inconvenience, its relationship with the United States have made it largest air service center in the east Asia, servicing all United States Air Force aircraft deployed in East Asia, and, needless to say, all covert operation aircraft from Pacific Corporation companies. It has serviced more than 12,000 USAF aircraft and retrofitted 8,000 aircraft engines during this period. At the peak of its existence, it operated another service faclity at Tachikawa, Japan.

In February 1975, it was sold to E-Systems, and in 1987 transferred to Precision Airmotive. AIDC acquired Air Asia in 1994.