Taiwan was the last major market in Asia to not have a low-cost carrier (LCC). In early 2013, China Airlines and Transasia Airways became the first Taiwanese carriers to express interest in forming an LCC. The further reduction in entry barriers by the Civil Aeronautics Administration made it favorable for the creation of LCCs.
In October 2013, China Airlines chairman Sun Hung-Hsiang announced that the airline was in talks with a foreign LCC to start an LCC based in Taiwan. The partnership was made public in December 2013 when China Airlines created a new joint venture with Singaporean low-cost carrier Tigerair to establish Tigerair Taiwan. As part of the deal, China Airlines would hold a 90 percent share in the new carrier with Tiger Airways Holdings owning the other 10 percent. In March 2014, China Airlines subsidiary Mandarin Airlines took over 10% of its parent company's share in Tigerair Taiwan.
All Tigerair Taiwan aircraft wear the Tigerair group livery and have the word "TAIWAN" painted onto the rear of the fuselage. The airline is the first international carrier to have the word 'Taiwan' as part of a corporate livery or a company name.[2]