Taiwan's first budget airline set for maiden flight

[TAIPEI] Taiwan's first budget airline said on Monday that it was scheduled to launch its maiden flight later this month, tapping into the robust demand for cheap travel in Asia.

Tigerair Taiwan - a joint venture between China Airlines, the island's leading air carrier by fleet size, and Singapore's low-cost carrier Tigerair - is slated to start its service on Sept 26 with a flight to Singapore from Taiwan. The announcement came after a brand new A320, the company's first aircraft, flew from France to the northern Taoyuan airport early Sunday morning.

"The arrival of the plane is a milestone in the company's operation," company spokesman Eric Lee told AFP.