Etihad apologises after flight announcement refers to Taiwan as "Taiwan, China"

Etihad Airways has apologised after a Taiwanese passenger complained about the wording of an onboard announcement on a flight from Abu Dhabi to Taipei. According to the passenger, the English-language arrival greeting referred simply to Taiwan, while the Chinese-language version used the phrase "Taiwan, China."

The passenger also pointed to a related announcement warning travellers against bringing meat products into the country, which reportedly used the same disputed phrasing.

The airline said it had revised its announcement scripts in response to the complaint and apologised for the wording used. It did not explain how the scripts had been changed or how long the phrasing had been in use.

The episode touches on a politically sensitive naming dispute. Taiwan's government maintains that the island is not part of the People's Republic of China. That position is at odds with Beijing's official stance that Taiwan is a Chinese province. Foreign companies, including airlines, have periodically faced pressure over how they refer to Taiwan in official materials. Past disputes have prompted several carriers to adjust route listings, websites and in-flight communications.

Etihad has not said whether the phrasing resulted from a scripting error, a translation inconsistency, or a deliberate choice tied to commercial considerations involving mainland China. The airline flies to Taipei from its Abu Dhabi hub.

No further details were provided about disciplinary action or additional passenger complaints connected to the incident.