Major Taiwanese airlines earn record-high revenues in 2023

Taipei, Jan. 11 (CNA) Taiwan's four international carriers -- China Airlines (CAL), EVA Airways, StarLux Airlines and Tigerair Taiwan -- all earned record-high revenues in 2023, following a post-pandemic passenger traffic boom.

According to CAL, its consolidated sales reached NT$184.82 billion (US$5.94 billion) last year, a year-on-year growth of 22.62 percent.

The carrier attributed the surge to a flight network expansion after the COVID-19 pandemic to meet the growing travel demand, which was the most pronounced in northeast Asia, Southeast Asia and Oceania in December.

The operational outlook for the airline appears optimistic as well since booking rates for popular slots during the Lunar New Year holiday and winter break have already surpassed 80 percent, CAL said.

For its part, EVA Air said its consolidated sales rose 45.11 percent from a year earlier to a record NT$200.36 billion in 2023, with its passenger revenue alone increasing by 326.01 percent from last year.

EVA Air said its passenger load factor exceeded 85 percent on long-haul flights in the latter half of December, when consolidated sales rose by 27.69 percent year-on-year to NT$18.74 billion.

StarLux, Taiwan's newest international carrier, posted sales of NT$22.47 billion for 2023, a 568 percent annual increase.

The airline said it is aggressively expanding its flight network, connecting new destinations such as Chiang Mai, Thailand and Hakodate, Japan.

Meanwhile, budget airline Tigerair Taiwan reported an annual revenue of NT$12.47 billion for 2023, adding that its sales performance for the fourth quarter also soared to an all-time high thanks to a strong travel interest in Northeast Asia.