Taiwan’s Starlux Airlines will expand operations beyond its main Taipei hub with the launch of flights from the central Taiwanese city of Taichung.
In a LinkedIn post on 6 December, the carrier says destinations are likely to be in Northeast and Southeast Asia, with flights commencing in the second quarter of 2024.
It did not elaborate further in the post, which also details the opening of its Taichung office – its second such facility in Taiwan.
“Passengers from Northeast and Southeast Asia will now have an additional option to experience the enchanting attractions and culture of Central Taiwan and beyond,” the post reads.
Elsewhere in the region, low-cost operators are expanding their networks in line with the year-end travel season.
Indonesia AirAsia, for instance, is adding additional flights across its network between 19 December and 3 January, in conjunction with the Christmas and New Year period.
The airline says it will add more than 25,000 seats to cities such as Denpasar, Medan, Surabaya, and internationally to Kuala Lumpur. The Jakarta-based unit of AirAsia Aviation also hints at adding new international routes in the new year.
It states: “Towards the end of this year and early next year, Indonesia AirAsia has set a number of targets, including expanding its network in Asia and the Pacific by launching new international routes.”
Vietnamese low-cost operator Vietjet, meanwhile, has announced plans to start four weekly flights from Ho Chi Minh city to Vientiane in Laos from February 2024.
The move follows the signing of a partnership agreement with Lao Airlines, covering passenger and cargo operations. The two carriers will also cooperate in areas such as MRO and training.
Vietjet is the only carrier to operate direct flights between Ho Chi Minh and the Laotian capital city.
The airline also launched daily direct flights from Ho Chi Minh city to Shanghai on 2 December.
Separately, South Korea’s Jin Air began operations from Busan to Taipei on 5 December, the latest destination in its growing network out of Busan.
The daily flights will be operated by Boeing 737-800s, says Jin Air. Busan is the third Korean city to be connected to Taipei, after Seoul Incheon and Daegu.
