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By Shelley Shan / Staff reporter
Starlux Airlines Co (星宇航空) today unveiled a long-haul network expansion plan at a shareholders’ meeting in Taipei, including direct flights to Barcelona, Spain, and Zurich, Switzerland, as well as a service connecting Taipei, Sydney and New Zealand.
Starlux is to become the first Taiwanese carrier to offer non-stop services to the two European cities, while the inaugural oceanic route is expected to expand transit opportunities within the Australia-New Zealand market, Starlux said.
Flight services to Chicago, Dallas, Washington and New York are under evaluation, the airline added.
Photo courtesy of Starlux Airlines
Prior to the shareholders’ meeting, the airline earlier this year announced that it would be launching direct flight services to Busan, South Korea, from Taipei and Taichung next month, as well as services from Taipei to Prague and Bali, Indonesia, in the second half of this year.
The airline also told shareholders that it expects to take delivery of three additional A321neo aircraft, three A330neo aircraft and four A350-1000 aircraft by the end of this year, bringing the total number of new aircraft added this year to 14 and increasing its overall fleet size to 43.
“The expanded fleet will further enhance network capacity and operational flexibility. In addition, the airline’s first A350F freighter is scheduled for delivery in mid-2028, reinforcing Starlux’s dual passenger-and-cargo growth strategy and strengthening its overall market competitiveness,” the airline said in a statement.
From July 2, Starlux plans to use Airbus A350-100 aircraft on the Taipei-Phoenix route, the airline said.
Meanwhile, the first themed aircraft from the Starlux Airsorayamma Art Project — a collaboration with renowned Japanese artist Hajime Sorayama — is expected to arrive in Taiwan in July and would enter service following final preparations, the airline said.
The themed aircraft would initially offer flights to Tokyo, Prague and Phoenix, Arizona, the airline said, adding that it also plans to introduce a range of themed onboard amenities as part of the project.
