There's a new airline looking to shake up the trans-Tasman market. Here's what we know so far
Updated . First published
A new airline is due to enter the highly competitive trans-Tasman market. Here’s what we know so far.
Starlux Airlines. The Taiwanese carrier recently announced it will fly between Sydney and Auckland, with the trans-Tasman leg an extension of its Taipei–Sydney service.
Taiwanese carrier Starlux airlines has announced it will fly Sydney to Auckland. STARLUX
When is Starlux coming?
The only details released are ‘sometime next year’. The schedule hasn’t been revealed but it’s reported to be up to five times a week.
Tell me some history
Starlux was founded by Chang Kuo-wei after he was ousted from his family’s airline, Taiwanese rival EVA Air, following a bitter succession dispute.
The airline commenced operations in early 2020 but, as you may remember, something else happened that year. Covid-19 meant it had to suspend many of its planned routes. It survived by pivoting to cargo, charter and limited passenger services.
Today it flies to 36 destinations in 13 countries, including two domestic destinations in Taiwan.
Budget or luxury?
Posh as. Starlux is called a “premium full-service airline” with interiors designed by BMW Designworks.
The planes
It currently operates an all-Airbus fleet of 34 aircraft and has an ambitious growth plan including more A330neos, A350-1000s and A350 freighters.
The service is expected to take off "sometime this year". STARLUX
Which aircraft will they use?
The airline says it will use the A330neo. Starlux chief strategy officer Simon Liu told Executive Traveller the Taipei–Sydney–Auckland route would “fit the A330 profile perfectly”.
There are 28 lie-flat business class seats in a 1-2-1 layout. Those with less coin will be in one of the 269 economy seats, arranged in a 2-4-2 configuration. Both cabins feature high-resolution 4K entertainment screens.
Any awards?
It was named the world’s most improved airline last year by Skytrax and also holds the coveted Skytrax Five-Star Airline rating.
Who else flies Sydney-Auckland at the moment?
The ones you are thinking of - Air New Zealand, Qantas and Jetstar. Chilean multinational carrier Latam pulled the plug on its service last year.
Starlux is called a “premium full-service airline”. STARLUX
What the airport says
Chief customer officer Scott Tasker says it is great to see Auckland being considered in Starlux’s expansion plans.
“Greater air links help support tourism, trade, business links and travel choices for New Zealanders, while strengthening Auckland’s position as a gateway city.”
What the travel industry says
Dave Fordyce, chief operating officer for House of Travel, calls Taiwan an emerging travel destination.
“It’s a friendly country offering a fusion of cultures, history, and natural beauty that makes for an interesting trip, but it’s not currently one of our biggest selling destinations.
“The Starlux service would offer more capacity into Sydney, so we’ll be interested in our customers’ interest and feedback once bookings open and the flight schedule is available.”
Craig Jenkinson from travel management company Orbit World Travel says corporate bookings to Asia are up more than 7 per cent year-on-year: “Taipei is growing at a higher than average rate within the region, but it’s still a modest share of the overall bookings.
“What matters for corporate travellers is seat availability and fare options especially for last-minute travel arrangements.”
Quirky fact
Billionaire founder Chang Kuo-wei is also a qualified pilot and is known to take the controls himself, with passengers occasionally discovering the airline’s owner is flying their plane.
This story was originally published by Stuff and has been reproduced here with permission.
