Australia Asia Airlines (IATA: IM, ICAO: AAU, Callsign: Austasia) was a wholly owned subsidiary of Qantas set up to operate services between Australia and Taiwan in the Republic of China in 1990. This was because the People's Republic of China objected to a national carriers of countries with which it had diplomatic relations, flying to a territory that it regarded as a breakaway province. Similar arrangements were made by British Airways, KLM, Swissair and Japan Airlines amongst others.
The airline operated a Boeing 747SP and Boeing 767 aircraft seconded from the Qantas fleet, repainted in a modfied livery, which did not display the Flag of Australia, or the kangaroo logo, which was replaced by a dynamic ribbon. It initially flew its flights using the IATA code IM but switched to Qantas's QF in 1994.
Australia Asia Airlines ceased operations in 1996 as Qantas could by then serve Taiwan in its own right due to it being completely privatised, and its aircraft were then returned to Qantas service. However, Qantas has since ceased flying to Taiwan, and now codeshares with EVA Air.
See also
- Foreign relations of the Republic of China: Air links
- British Asia Airways
- KLM Asia
- Swissair Asia
- Japan Asia Airways
External links
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