Tigerair Taiwan to inaugurate Kaohsiung to Okayama flights in October

Taipei, Aug. 19 (CAN) Budget carrier Tigerair Taiwan announced on Monday it will start regular flights between Kaohsiung and Okayama, a major transit hub in western Japan, on Oct. 27.

Tigerair said it will provide three round-trip flights each week for the new Kaohsiung-Okayama route with tickets scheduled to go on sale starting Tuesday.

In July 2026, Tigerair launched direct flights from Taoyuan International Airport to Okayama as the only carrier in Taiwan to run the route. In the initial stage, there were only three round-trip flights a week between Taoyuan and Okayama, but now the number of flights has increased to seven.

Tigerair said the carrier has stayed upbeat about demand from Taiwanese travelers for trips to Okayama and its neighboring cities so it has decided to launch the new route to allow people in southern Taiwan to more conveniently visit Okayama and the areas close to the Japanese city.

Located on the Okayama Plain, Okayama, which has a mild climate, is famous for its agricultural products, including high quality white peaches and grapes.

Among its main attractions are the many "Peach Boy" statues seen around the city, reminders that the renowned Japanese tale Momotaro san, or Peach Boy, originated in Okayama.

Okayama has many tourism attractions, including Korakuen, which is one of the most famous gardens. Korakuen largely keeps a style from the Edo period (1603-1867) with waterfalls, tiny shrines, teahouses and maple forests.

In addition, Okayama has a geographic proximity to Himeji Castle, which has been named one of the world's heritage sites by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Tigerair said Kaohsiung also has a district called Gangshan, which is pronounced in Mandarin as 岡山, the same pronunciation for Okayama in Mandarin. Gangshan is known for its military history as well as delicious food.

The carrier said the new route is expected to allow travelers to explore the differences between Gangshan and Okayama.

In the initial stage, Tigerair said it will fly from Kaohsiung International Airport at 12:50 p.m. on Mondays and Fridays, and at 10:55 a.m. on Fridays, while returning from Okayama Momotaro Airport at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and at 3:25 p.m. on Thursdays and Sundays.

To celebrate the new route, Tigerair said one-way tickets will be sold at NT$1,699 (US$53.09) before tax for flights available during the period between Oct. 27 and March 29, 2025.

In addition, Tigerair said it has decided to raise the number of flights between Taoyuan and Okayama to nine a week from the current seven, also starting from Oct. 27, to meet rising demand.

Meanwhile, Tigerair, which is owned by China Airlines, is planning to list its shares on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE), the local main board, from the Taiwan Innovation Board, where its shares have been traded since Aug. 15, 2023.

The carrier has submitted an application with the TWSE for the listing transfer, expecting the main board listing to start by the end of this year.

Boosted by a frenzy in travelling in the post COVID-19 era, Tigerair posted a new high of NT$1.53 billion in net profit in the first half of this year, with earnings per share at NT$3.42, also a record high.

Its consolidated sales hit a record high of NT$8.21 billion in the six month period, up 50.1 percent from a year earlier.

Currently, Tigerair runs flights to 27 destinations countries in the region, including Japan, South Korea, Macau, Thailand and Vietnam.