Taipei, Aug. 20 (CNA) Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, will lease six A321neo aircraft as it seeks future expansion amid the tourism boom.
In a statement, Starlux Airlines said it will spend about NT$2.16 billion (US$67.69 million) for each of the first three aircraft leased from GY Aviation Lease 2405 Co.
The price of the last three aircraft is still being negotiated and will be announced after an agreement is signed, Starlux Airlines said.
A prospectus published in June on the Taiwan Stock Exchange by Starlux Airlines, which approved the airline’s application to list its shares on the main exchange, said the airline had a fleet of 22 passenger aircraft – 13 A321neos, four A330neos and five A350-900s at the end of May.
According to the prospectus, Starlux Airlines is expected to receive five more aircraft by the end of this year, bringing its fleet to 27.
The airline announced in its prospectus that it would introduce its first A350-1000 aircraft in 2025 to offer long-haul flights to the United States.
Starlux Airlines launched direct flights between Taipei and Seattle on August 16.
After Los Angeles and San Francisco, the city is the airline’s third destination in the USA.
Starlux Airlines also flies to more than 20 destinations, including Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Japan and Hong Kong.
On October 27, Starlux Airlines will launch a daily round-trip flight between Taichung in central Taiwan and Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam with the A321neo.
In September, the airline will offer five weekly flights between Taipei and Jakarta, also with the A321neo.
Due to the growing tourism industry after COVID-19, Starlux Airlines reported a net profit of NT$900 million in the first half of this year, up 172 percent year-on-year. Earnings per share were NT$0.39, up NT$0.21 year-on-year.
The airline’s consolidated revenue rose 65 percent year-on-year to NT$16.33 billion in the six months.
In July, Starlux Airlines recorded a new monthly high in consolidated revenue of NT$3.47 billion, up 53 percent year-on-year and 13 percent month-on-month.
While revenue from passenger flight operations was around NT$3.03 billion in July, Starlux Airlines recorded revenue of NT$301 million from its cargo flights, up 122 percent year-on-year, largely due to growing demand for the transportation of AI-related equipment.
At an annual general meeting in June, Starlux Airlines Chairman Chang Kuo-wei (張國煒) said the airline aims to eliminate its cumulative losses of over NT$11.5 billion within three years.
