Flight Attendant to Company President: China Airlines Appoints Shing-Hwang Kao as New President

The Board of Directors of Taiwan-based China Airlines has approved the appointment of Mr. Shing-Hwang Kao as the new President of the company. Kao previously served as the airline’s Senior Vice President.

China Airlines' New President, Shing-Hwang Kao - Courtesy China Airlines

On Thursday (March 18, 2021) Taiwan-based China Airlines announced that their Board of Directors has approved the appointment of Mr. Shing-Hwang Kao as the company’s new President. Kao joined the airline in 1986 as a flight attendant after graduating from the Department of Transportation Management at National Cheng Kung University, and most recently served as Senior Vice President.

Shing-Hwang Kao was among the first group of trainees chosen by China Airlines to attend flight school in North Dakota (US) as part of the carrier’s internal pilot training program. Upon returning to Taiwan, he rose through the ranks as First Officer, Captain, Check Pilot and Instructor Pilot, before joining the company’s management team in 2013. Kao held additional positions including Assistant Chief Pilot, Chief Pilot, Assistant Vice President and Vice President of Operations. As a Pilot he commanded the Airbus A300-B4, A300-600R, A340 and Boeing 747-400.

Shing-Hwang Kao’s past management roles at China Airlines include corporate safety, flight operations, cabin crew, system operation control, finance, epidemic response, and occupational safety and health. He was also a member of the airline’s Corporate Sustainability Committee and Corporate Environmental Committee. The experienced 35 year company veteran will replace Su-Chien Hsieh, who has served as Acting President since April 2019. Su-Chien Hsieh will now focus full time on his role as the company’s Chairman.

Source: China Airlines