China Airlines has received delivery of its first A321neo passenger aircraft featuring an “advanced high-comfort” cabin.

The new cabin, which is configured with 180 seats, including 12 in premium business class and 168 in economy class, has been “fine-tuned to meet passenger requirements and support contactless service for epidemic prevention in the post-Covid-19 era”, the airline said.

The upgraded ‘Premium Business Class’ seating features fully-flat seats equipped with adjustable extra-height partitions for privacy and reduced contact with neighbouring seats.

The in-flight entertainment system includes 15.6” and 13.3” 4K high-resolution, extra-large displays in premium business and economy class and include picture-in-picture multi-processing functionality.

Smart link support will allow passengers to connect with the in-flight entertainment system via their personal mobile and Bluetooth headphones.

High-speed in-flight Wi-Fi is also provided onboard and free text messaging is available for seven apps including Line, WeChat, Facebook Messenger, Apply iMessage, WhatsApp, Viber and Line2.

Lavatory upgrades include contactless, sensor-activated taps to “reduce the risk of cross-infection”.

The new A321neo aircraft will go through a preparation and certification process once it arrives in Taiwan. It will then be progressively introduced on Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, and Cross-strait routes.