Taiwan’s first luxury boutique airline STARLUX begins operation!
- The Taiwanese new airline STARLUX began operation in January 2020.
- It is the latest addition to the aviation market of Taiwan after 30 years of duopoly.
- It has created a buzz in the aviation industry of Taiwan and the general public is also amazed.
- And it is Taiwan’s first luxury boutique airline to hit the skies.
STARLUX starts operation
The new airline in Taiwan, STARLUX began operating this January. The luxury airline is the first of its kind in Taiwan.
The company purchased its first aircraft in October 2019 and in a matter of 2-3 months has managed to put everything in place and initiate flying.
The airlines are first concentrating on catering to the South East Asia sector. Its three routes are Taipei-Macau, Taipei-Penang, and Taipei-Danang.
The airline plans to expand its operations gradually after seeing the response and calculating the risks.
But what is more interesting is the succession drama which involved the founder of STARLUX, Chang Kuo-Wei. The local media now refers to him as Prince Hamlet of the aviation industry.
The story of the birth of STARLUX
The whole thing started in 2016 when Chang Yung-fa died at the age of 88. He was the founder of Taiwan’s Evergreen Group and also the airline EVA Airways.
Soon, a battle ensued on who would take the top control of Taiwan’s largest family conglomerate.
Chang Kuo-Wei, 49 stated that his father had named him in his will as the successor of the parent company Evergreen.
He was already the chairman of the Eva group since 2013. Chang Kuo-Wei was a popular name in the aviation industry and had worked both as an aircraft technician as well as a pilot. He was an expert in the field and also was an outspoken personality.
More about the family feud
But Chang Kuo-Wei was the youngest son and the only child of the departed Chang’s second wife. Hence the other family members objected to his elevation.
They took away his EVA chairmanship from him. And a few months later, Chang Kuo-Wei made an official announcement that he would be starting his airline called STARLUX.
Though local media has called him Hamlet, Chang Kuo-Wei does not think that he is one. STARLUX’s chief communication officer, KW Nieh told CNN Travel:
“He doesn’t think that he is ‘Hamlet’. This has nothing to do with revenge.”
“Because of his passion for aviation, Chang merely wants to build an ideal airline that reflects his style after breaking from the shackles of Evergreen Group. He is building STARLUX to fulfill the expectations of his late father.”
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The two existing airlines of the island country, EVA and China Airlines both have Internal conflicts and strikes.
Hence there was a growing need for new airlines and STARLUX might just be that. Its addition at the time of need has upped the aviation market in Taiwan.
STARLUX – the expensive airline that gives more!
The airline STARLUX has a new fleet of passenger aircraft, including the A321neo and A350-1000 for the first time in Taiwan.
STARLUX signed the largest single Airbus purchase agreement. And purchased 17 A350XWB aircraft in March 2019. All 10 A321neos will be in Taiwan by 2021.
KW Nieh said:
“The fleet will grow to 27 aircraft by the end of 2024 and 50 by the end of 2030,”
It has sleek seats and leather headrests with an inflight entertainment system. Free Wi-Fi with basic access would be available as well.
The fares would be expensive but competitive keeping in mind the facilities it provides. Hence there will be no fare war.
Nieh revealed:
“We consider flying as an enjoyable part of the journey. We offer top-notch and exquisite services. It differentiates STARLUX from other companies in the market.”
“We position ourselves as a boutique airline, targeting the higher-end market. We have introduced the most advanced aircraft models with the latest aviation technology and seats. And We offer exquisite service items so the fare will be slightly higher than the other airlines.”
The company is confident of its success despite being a luxury airline. Nieh said:
“Located in a central position connecting North America, North Asia and Southeast Asia, Taiwan has the best foundation to develop as an aviation hub. By introducing and building its hardware and software, the aviation industry of Taiwan will hopefully become the transportation hub of Asia, strengthen its transit services and bring a large number of international passengers to Taiwan.”
The initial response has been good with tickets selling out in minutes.
Source: CNN Travel
