Routes Online reports that the carrier will start four flights a week to Taiwan’s capital Taipei from December 1.

Flights are resuming after a five-year absence, when the carrier previously flew to Heathrow.

China Airlines will use a new Airbus A350, with 32 Premium Business Class, 31 Premium Economy Class and 243 Economy Class seats. Flights will leave Gatwick at 21.15 and arrive at 18.30 the next day. Inbound services will leave at 09.30 or 08.55, arriving mid-afternoon.

The airline will provide the UK’s only non-stop service to Taipei. The island’s other major airline, EVA Air, offers the destination from Heathrow via Bangkok.

China Airlines believes it can tap into the UK-Australia market with the new flight. From December 1, the Taipei-Sydney route will increase to two daily services and Taipei-Brisbane-Auckland will be upgraded to daily.

Stephen King, Gatwick’s head of airline relations said: “We are delighted to welcome China Airlines to Gatwick as part of our flourishing long-haul network, which is increasingly connecting the UK to more and more destinations, including major business hubs, across the globe.”

Taipei will be Gatwick’s sixth route to China and Asia/Pacific. It already offers Cathay Pacific’s Hong Kong service, plus Tianjin Airlines’ Tianjin and Chongqing routes. Later this year, Tianjin Airlines will add Xi’an and Norwegian will start flights to Singapore.