China Airlines - Cheap, Convenient, Indo boat trip flights, now safer?

Taiwan-based China Airlines has one of the most convenient sets of flight schedules to and from the US west coast to Bali and Jakarta. They are consistently one of the lowest-cost options. The reason they have to charge less is that until about 5 years ago they had one of the worst safety records of any significant international carrier. I read an article (subscription required) in today's WSJ that indicates perhaps positive safety changes have been afoot at this airline, and it's probably still safe to fly despite the recent fiery (but not deadly) incident on Okinawa. Here's an excerpt from the article:

I like what I'm reading in the article below re: process and dedication to safety. I felt a little wary flying them last time around but would be more comfortable flying them to Indo again for my next boat trip. Of course they still have board bag charges and not-quite-Singapore-air service levels, but what do you want here, fast, cheap, AND good?

From Wall Street Journal:

"Analysts say China Airlines has posted a marked improvement in safety and operational performance since 2002, when a China Airlines Boeing 747 crashed while flying from Taipei to Hong Kong, killing 225 people. That crash became a catalyst for an overhaul in its approach to safety, analysts and company officials say.

China Airlines now has one of the youngest fleets in Asia, with an average age of six years for its aircraft. It has hired former executives from Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific Airways, two of the world's best-run airlines, to advise it on engineering and maintenance. Derek Cridland, Cathay Pacific's former director of engineering, now works there as a consultant.

"I have actually been quite impressed at the turnaround at China Airlines over the last five years," says Damien Horth, an analyst in Hong Kong with investment bank UBS. "I do get the impression when I talk with the company that there has been a big change in the culture."

Indeed, China Airlines' efforts to improve its safety record echo the earlier success of Korean Air Lines Co. in salvaging its reputation after a series of crashes in the 1990s. Like China Airlines, Korean Air broke with tradition, seeking advice from foreign experts and revamping its training procedures.

In addition, China Airlines passed a rigorous operational safety audit conducted by the International Air Transport Association in 2005, and it was recertified this February."

This is better news than you'll be reading about any Indonesian carriers and I'll have to fly them on my next indo boat trip no matter what.