Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, has announced it would apply to join the Oneworld global airline alliance before the end of next year.
In an investor conference on Monday, Starlux Airlines chief executive officer Glenn Chai (翟健華) said joining the alliance would help it access Taiwan.
Chai said that if accepted, Starlux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs.
Photo courtesy of Starlux Airlines
The Oneworld alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories.
Joining Oneworld would also help boost the efficiency of Starlux, Chai said.
China Airlines, one of the two leading international carriers in Taiwan, is in the SkyTeam alliance, while the other, EVA Airways, is a member of Star Alliance.
There is room for Starlux Airlines to expand into the global market, Chai said.
The capacity of China Airlines and EVA Airways is only 65 percent of that of the international Singaporean carriers and Starlux could help expand the Taiwanese airline business, he said.
Starlux Airlines said it expects to continue raking in profits in the third quarter. As international crude oil prices are falling, its profit is likely to rise.
Starlux Airlines, which was set up on May 2, 2018, and launched its maiden flights in 2020, turned a profit for the first time last year, when it posted a net profit of NT$149 million (US$4.67 million) with earnings per share (EPS) at NT$0.08.
In the first half of this year, the carrier’s EPS stood at NT$0.39, up from US$0.18 over the same period last year.
Starlux operates 29 routes to 27 destinations, the carrier said.
It plans to launch new flights to North America, Europe, China and Australia.
Starlux Airlines launched its direct flights between Taipei and Seattle on Aug. 16.
The city is the third destination in the US that the airline flies to, after Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Starlux chairman Chang Kuo-wei (張國煒) last week said that the carrier is looking to increase its flights to Los Angeles and Seattle, and is also eyeing other US destinations such as New York, Dallas and Houston.
The average number of Starlux flights hit 238 a week this year. That figure is expected to rise to 278 next year.
At the end of last month, Starlux took delivery of its sixth A350-900 passenger aircraft and is to introduce two more by the end of this year, boosting its fleet to 26.
The fleet is expected to expand to 33 next year and 53 in 2029.
Starlux is to take delivery of five A350F cargo planes from 2027 to 2029 and said it is upbeat about the transit and cargo business.
Starlux has secured approval from the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) to move its listing to the local main board from the emerging market.
Its shares are expected to trade on the TWSE by the end of this year.
In Taiwan, a company must list its shares on the emerging market for at least six months before seeking to transfer to the main board or the over-the-counter market.
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