Summary
- Taiwanese carrier Starlux Airlines has launched flights between Taipei and San Francisco, catering to the town’s Asian diaspora and tourist demand.
- The route will operate thrice per week through the winter travel season, shifting to day by day operations in March.
- Further US expansion is already within the works, with Seattle-Tacoma International Airport eyed for launch in 2024.
Taiwan’s newest carrier, Starlux Airlines, has officially launched services between Taipei’s Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO).
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Onward sure
Announced back in September as a part of Starlux Airlines’ planned North American expansion, the inaugural flight touched down in San Francisco on Saturday evening, with the airline deploying one among its shiny recent Airbus A350-900s (B-58503) for the occasion.
The 11-hour flight is scheduled to operate thrice every week through the winter travel season, departing Taipei on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. From March 20, Starlux Airlines is ready to bolster capability on the route, shifting to day by day operations.
Photo: Omid Behzadpour I Shutterstock
Throughout the initial route announcement in September, CEO Glenn Chai noted the overwhelming demand for San Francisco flights, owing to the town’s strong cultural and historical ties with the Asian diaspora and its continued popularity with tourists. Chai added,
Flight details
As reported by local media, 274 passengers flew with Starlux Airlines on the primary flight, joined by classic Peanuts characters Snoopy and Charlie Brown, wearing the airline’s cabin crew uniform. The freshly inked brand deal between Starlux Airlines and Peanuts will see Snoopy-themed branding utilized on its San Francisco-bound services.
Passengers on the initial flights between the 2 cities will receive an exclusive Peanuts x Starlux luggage tag featuring retro artwork of Snoopy and the San Francisco Bay Area. Additional collaboration products are set to be released in 2024, coinciding with Peanuts’ seventy fifth anniversary.
Starlux Airlines’ outbound service, JX12, will depart Taipei at 23:30 CST and land in San Francisco at 18:30 PST. The return leg, JX11, takes off from San Francisco at 23:40 PST, crossing the international date line and arriving at Taipei at 05:30 CST (+2).
The carrier will proceed to deploy its long-haul 306-seat A350-900s on the route, also utilized on existing trans-Pacific services to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Since its launch in April, the service and its premium offerings have been a success with travelers and bloggers, prompting discussion of further West Coast expansion in the approaching months.
Growing network
Moving into 2024, Starlux Airlines’ is already eyeing Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA) as its next US destination, as confirmed in September. Recent York has previously been floated as one other potential route; nonetheless, Airbus delivery delays have put a pause on short-term plans.
Inside Asia, Japan has quickly develop into a spotlight point for the airline, which currently operates eight routes to the country from its Taipei hub. Its most up-to-date addition, Taipei to Nagoya’s Chubu Centrair International Airport (NGO), opened earlier this month, operating day by day with the carrier’s 188-seat Airbus A321neo fleet. Further expansion appears to be on the cards; in October, Starlux Airlines revealed plans to rent as much as 60 recent Japan-based cabin crew members to support its continued presence throughout the country’s aviation market.
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The airline already flies to seven Japanese destinations.
What other destinations would you prefer to see Starlux add to its network? Tell us within the comments.