Starlux Airlines

STARLUX Airlines (Chinese: 星宇航空; pinyin: Xīngyǔ Hángkōng) is an international airline company headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, and operated its first flight from Taipei to Macau on 23 January 2020.[1]

This article is about the Taiwan-based airline company. For defunct French airline previously known as "Star Airlines", see XL Airways France.

STARLUX Airlines
星宇航空
IATA ICAO Callsign
JX SJX STARWALKER
Founded2016 (company registration)
2018 (established)
Commenced operations23 January 2020 (2020-01-23)
HubsTaipei–Taoyuan
Frequent-flyer programCOSMILE
Fleet size4
Destinations4
HeadquartersTaipei, Taiwan
Key peopleChang Kuo-wei
Glenn Chai
Websitestarlux-airlines.com

History

The company was registered in 2016 with the Taiwanese Ministry of Economic Affairs.[2] This was confirmed by Chang Kuo-wei on 30 November 2016, who was formerly the chairman of Taiwanese airline EVA Air.[3] The airline registered with the Taiwanese Civil Aeronautics Administration in the first half of 2017,[4] and it was planned, in late 2016, that the airline would commence operations in 2018.[5] The Taiwanese Ministry of Economic Affairs received the formal application for establishing the airline under the name Starlux Airlines on 22 May 2017.[6] In an interview in 2017, the airline was expected to start operations by the end of 2019,[7] though in January 2019, Chang stated that Starlux Airlines would launch in January 2020.[8]

In March 2019, the airline's chairman Chang Kuo-wei signed an order for 17 Airbus A350 XWB aircraft, which was also the country's largest single Airbus purchase agreement.[2] In September 2019, the airline announced the first destinations to be launched, consisting of Da Nang, Macau, and Penang to begin on 23 January 2020.[9] On 25 October 2019, the airline's first aircraft, an Airbus A321neo, was delivered from Hamburg, Germany, before the plane arrived at the airline's hub at Taoyuan International Airport on 29 October after making stops in Dubai and Bangkok.[10] On 10 December 2019, Starlux received its air operator's certificate (AOC) from the Taiwanese Civil Aeronautics Administration, followed by the formal opening of reservations on 16 December 2019 for the start of services the following month.[11][12]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts on aviation, which began to occur within months of the airline's inauguration, Starlux announced the suspension of most of its services except to Da Nang.[13] Subsequently, in March 2020 the airline suspended all of its operations until 2 June 2020,[14] after which the airline resumed its three-weekly services to Macau.[15] Before the airline resumed service, it received clearance in May 2020 to begin services to Naha as its first destination in Japan, with a start date no earlier than 1 July, however the airline said that the timeline for Naha's service inauguration was dependent on the pandemic's developments.[16] Subsequently due to the pandemic, the airline additionally delayed the launch of its Cebu services twice, and indefinitely postponed the launch of its services to Naha.[16]

Destinations

Starlux Airlines operates or has operated to the following destinations as of January 2021:

Country/Region City Airport Notes Ref
Japan Osaka Kansai International Airport [17]
Tokyo Narita International Airport [17]
Macau Macau Macau International Airport [18][19][20]
Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur International Airport [21][22]
Penang Penang International Airport [18][19][20]
Philippines Cebu Mactan–Cebu International Airport TBA [16]
Taiwan Taipei Taoyuan International Airport Hub [18]
Thailand Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport [17]
Vietnam Da Nang Da Nang International Airport [18][19]

Fleet
Starlux's first aircraft, B-58201, an Airbus A321neo, landing in Taipei Songshan Airport

As of January 2021, Starlux Airlines operates the following aircraft:[23]

Starlux Airlines fleet
Aircraft In service Orders Passengers Notes References
F B E+ E
Total
Airbus A321neo 4 9 — 8 — 180 188 All leased from GECAS [24][18][25][26]
Airbus A330-900 — 8 TBA To be delivered Q4 2021 [26]
Airbus A350-900 — 5 TBA Deliveries to commence in Q1 2022.
All aircraft to be delivered by 2024.		 [27][28][26]
Airbus A350-1000 — 12 TBA [27][28][26]
Total 4 35

Fleet development

In March 2019, Starlux announced it would start operations with 17 Airbus aircraft, consisting of 5 Airbus A350-900s and 12 Airbus A350-1000s for routes to Europe & North America as well as selected Asian destinations. The airline later planned to add 10 Airbus A321neos to its fleet to serve their Asian routes.[29]

Starlux had also considered the addition of the Airbus A330neo to its fleet.[30] This was followed by the airline placing an order for 8 Airbus A330-900s, alongside three additional A321neos and one A350-900 to its order backlog on 10 September 2020.[26] Starlux also announced during September 2020 that its Airbus A350s would feature a first class cabin.[31]

As part of the plans, Starlux would become the first Taiwanese airline to fly the Airbus A330-900, and Airbus A350-1000.[10][32][26]

Cabins and services

In-flight entertainment

In-flight entertainment (IFE) is provided through seatback touchscreen systems, which are equipped with a USB power port and contain a selection of audio and video on demand (AVOD), as well as a live position mapping system. Starlux commissioned smooth jazz guitarist Peter White to provide a soundtrack for the entertainment system, which was commercially released on 29 November 2019 as Music for STARLUX Airlines.[33] The airline also offers in-flight internet access through satellite Wi-Fi.[34]

Business class

The business class cabin has eight Collins Diamond seats in a 2-2 configuration on the Airbus A321neo. The seats are 20.19 inches (51.3 cm) wide and can be converted into a 82 in (210 cm) fully flat bed, featuring a 15.6 in (40 cm) IFE touchscreen. Wi-Fi internet access, meals, refreshments, and amenities including noise-cancelling headphones and blankets are provided complimentary to all business class passengers.[34][35]

Economy class

The economy class cabin has 180 seats in a 3-3 configuration on the Airbus A321neo. The seats are 18.36 inches (46.6 cm) wide, each with a 10.1 in (26 cm) IFE touchscreen and fitted with a leather headrest. Meals and some amenities such as pillows and headsets are provided complimentary, while Wi-Fi internet access only strong enough for in-flight messaging is freely available to all economy class passengers, with increased bandwidth and faster connection speeds available for an additional fee.[34][35]

See also

References
  1. "星宇航空23日開航 下半年擬開日本航線" [Starlux Airlines to launch flights on 23 January, plans to open Japan routes in six months]. Central News Agency (in Chinese). 中央社. 17 January 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  2. Bailey, Joanna (19 March 2019). "Brand New Airline Starlux Orders 17 Airbus A350 Aircraft". Simple Flying. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  3. Cummins, Nicholas (17 July 2018). "This Unknown Airline Has Just Ordered 17 A350's". Simple Flying.
  4. 王子復仇記？張國煒籌設星宇航空　長榮：會很辛苦 [Revenge? Chang Kuo-wei prepares to establish Starlux Airlines; EVA says it will be difficult]. ETToday (in Chinese). Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  5. "Former EVA chairman plans new airline". Taiwan News. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  6. 汪, 淑芬 (23 May 2017). 星宇航英文名STARLUX天空閃亮豪華一顆星 [The English name of Xingyuhang is Starlux. A shining star in the sky.] (in Chinese). Central News Agency. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  7. Tan, Jason (4 October 2017). "Ousted EVA Airways chairman retaliates with new airline". Nikkei Asian Review. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  8. Wang, Shu-fen; Huang, Frances (16 January 2019). "StarLux Airlines be launched in January 2020: founder". Central News Agency. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  9. Anderson, Zaref (10 September 2019). "Starlux Airlines Plans Launch". Aeronautics. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  10. Sander, Daniel (28 October 2019). "STARLUX Receives Maiden Aircraft Ahead of 2020 Launch". Airways Magazine. Airways International, Inc. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  11. Chen, Jackie (11 December 2019). "Taiwanese start-up Starlux Airlines has been approved to fly". Business Traveller. Panacea Media Limited. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  12. Yu, Hsiao-han; Huang, Frances (13 December 2019). "StarLux Airlines to start selling tickets next week". Central News Agency. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  13. "Taiwan's StarLux Airlines to suspend Penang flights amid coronavirus outbreak". Taiwan News. 4 March 2020.
  14. Schlappig, Ben (18 March 2020). "Starlux Airlines Suspends Operations". One Mile At a Time. PointsPros, Inc.
  15. Kao, Shih-ching (16 May 2020). "StarLux to resume limited operations next month". The Taipei Times.
  16. "StarLux delays launch of Cebu flights due to COVID-19". Focus Taiwan. 11 June 2020.
  17. "Starlux Airlines schedules network expansion in Dec 2020". Routesonline. 26 October 2020.
  18. Liu, Jim (11 December 2019). "Starlux Airlines outlines operational schedules in 1Q20". Routesonline. Informa Markets. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
  19. Liu, Jim (18 March 2020). "STARLUX Airlines suspends operation 21MAR20 – 30APR20". Routesonline. Informa Markets.
  20. Liu, Jim (15 May 2020). "Starlux Airlines outlines reduced operation in June 2020". Routesonline. Informa Markets.
  21. "STARLUX will expand network to Kuala Lumpur!". STARLUX Airlines. 27 November 2020.
  22. "Taiwan's StarLux launch flights to Kuala Lumpur on Jan. 5". www.taiwannews.com.tw. 28 November 2020.
  23. "Starlux Airlines Fleet Details and History". planespotters.net. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  24. Toh, Mavis (13 March 2018). "STARLUX Airlines reconfirms and upsizes its order for 10 A321neo". FlightGlobal. DVV Media International Limited. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  25. Chen, Jackie (29 October 2019). "Starlux Airlines receives its first Airbus A321neo". Business Traveller. Panacea Media Limited. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  26. "【獨家】疫情影響A350購機延後！星宇另租8架A330-900neo　明年第4季起交機" [(Exclusive) Pandemic delays A350 purchase! Starlux leases 8 A330-900neo, to be delivered in the fourth quarter of next year]. Apple News (in Chinese). 10 September 2020. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  27. Kaminski-Morrow, David (19 March 2019). "STARLUX Airlines confirms its order for 17 A350XWB". FlightGlobal. DVV Media International Limited. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  28. Finlay, Mark (9 November 2019). "Starlux Airlines Trades 4 Airbus A350-1000 Orders For A350-900s". Simple Flying. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  29. "Starlux Airlines kauft definitiv 17 Airbus A350" [Starlux Airlines will definitely buy 17 Airbus A350s]. aeroTELEGRAPH (in German). 19 March 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  30. Kuan, Albert (6 October 2019). "StarLux Airlines Unveils Cabin Crew Uniforms and A321neo Cabin Products in Taipei". Airline Geeks. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  31. Wang, Shu-fen; Shang, Yi-ching (6 September 2020). "StarLux to offer first class in new A350 wide-body aircraft". Focus Taiwan - CNA English News. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
  32. Huang, Tzu-ti (15 June 2019). "Taiwan's StarLux Airlines to launch first flights January 2020". Taiwan News. Retrieved 15 June 2019.
  33. "Peter White Soars with a New Album". Peter White News. 18 November 2019.
  34. Flynn, David (8 October 2019). "Starlux promises premium experience for regional Asia business travel". Executive Traveller. Business Travel Media Pty Ltd. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  35. Chen, Jackie. "Starlux Airlines unveils cabin design and seat products for its A321neo". Business Traveller. Panacea Media Limited. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
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