Etihad rewrites Taipei arrival script after Taiwan protest

Etihad Airways apologized and immediately changed its inflight scripts after a Mandarin arrival announcement on a flight from Abu Dhabi to Taipei called Taiwan part of China. A passenger said the English greeting named Taiwan alone, while Mandarin also warned that meat-product fines would be levied by the Chinese government. Crew said the wording was the airline's official script rather than an ad-lib.

Taiwan's foreign ministry called the Republic of China sovereign and independent and rejected wording that demeans that status. Taiwan's civil aviation authority said Etihad had apologized and changed the announcement at once.

Airlines and hotels often struggle to name Taiwan in a way that satisfies both Beijing and Taipei. China blocked Marriott's website in 2018 after a survey listed Taiwan separately. Passengers on Etihad flights into Taipei may now hear different destination language, and the same pressure can change how Taiwan is labeled in booking materials.

Nothing to book, but watch whether China presses Etihad to reverse the script change.