U-Land Airlines

U-Land Airlines (Chinese: 瑞聯航空; pinyin: Ruìlián hángkōng) was a Taiwanese low-cost airline. The company was the first low-cost airline company in Asia, which operates domestic and short range international routes. Bankrupted in 2001, it was affiliated to U-Land Building Co., Ltd before it ceases, and is the first airline company bankrupted in Taiwan.

History

U-Land Airlines was previously known as China-Asia Airlines, established in 19 May 1989, with capital registered of 200 million, 120 employees, authorized to fly regular route from “Taipei – Kaohsiung”, “Taipei – Kinmen”. The China-Asia Airlines was affiliated to Chinese Kuomintang legislators Wu De-mei family’s company: An Feng Industrial, the company only has a 36-seats Schott 360 propeller aircraft when it is established, and is mainly responsible for non-scheduled charter business.

In the early 1990s, the well-known company U-Land Building Co., Ltd. in Taichung city introduced "U-Land world" and several other large construction cases in the middle area of Taiwan and was famous for a moment. The funder Zhou Qi-rui, Zhou Qi-chang decided to expand to different industries, and planned to buy China-Asia Airlines which at the time has almost stopped any business operation. In 1994, November, China-Asia Airlines was built and renamed "U-Land Airlines", it became a member of U-Land Corporation, and purchased six McDonnell Douglas aircraft. August 3, 1996, U-Land airline purchased the third McDonnell Douglas MD-82, numbered "B-88898". From July 1997 to October 1997, Asian financial crisis began, Taiwan's real estate market declines, the issue of excess of empty newly built properties hits U-Land Building company hardly, U-Land Building losses nearly NT $2.5 billion, associated with the bad luck of the U-Land Airways. In December 1998, the U-Land Airlines leased the B-88898 to Philippine Airlines to carry out the Taiwan route. In March 2000, U-Land Airlines leased B-88898 to Vietnam Pacific to carry out Taiwan routes.

Grounded

Due to its poor finical status and flight safety record, U-Land Airlines has been ordered to stop as many as twice by the Taiwanese Ministry of Civil Aviation Administration, As of June 26, 2000, U-Land Airlines has accumulated a total of NT $18,396,377, including nine cash grants of NT $11,106,486 and 2000, in the Civil Aviation Authority's "Domestic Airport Landing Fee" and "Terminal-related Equipment Use Fees" from March to May 2000 new arrears of NT $7,289,891. The Civil Aviation Authority informs the relevant airlines according to Article 14 of the "Charges for the Use of Aeronautical Station, Flight Aircraft, Aids to Navigation Facilities and Related Facilities" and Article 9 of the "Regulations on the Use of Buildings, Land and Other Equipment under the Civil Aviation Authority under the jurisdiction of the Civil Aviation Administration" Station since July 1, 2000 to stop the use of Airport and other related facilities, amd moved to the lawyer Li Chao-xiong for follow-up to remind debt matters.

November 13, 2001, the Civil Aviation Authority has canceled the "civil air transport industry permit" for the U-Land Airlines. By August 2003, Taiwan Kaohsiung District Court auction by the Farmers Bank of China and Taiwan Business Bank suit to seize the U-Land Airlines two McDonnell Douglas MD-82 aircraft, the reserve price was NT $279,366,120 yuan and NT $262,368,480, but no one to bid, And declared the auction.

By the end of 2001, all the former U-Land Airline employee staff took to the streets, for their own right to work; but the Civil Aviation Authority denied, still maintain the license to write off. With the passage of time, most of the former U-Land Airline employees have been employed again in other airlines to work, the last wave of protests ended in late 2004. At the time, U-Land Airlines officially disappeared in the media layout.

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