Starlux Airlines launches maiden flight to Jakarta, Indonesia

Taipei, Sept. 1 (CNA) Taiwan's Starlux Airlines on Sunday launched its inaugural commercial flight between Taoyuan and Jakarta, Indonesia, the carrier's first destination in the southern hemisphere.

The flight departed from Taoyuan International Airport at 8 a.m. and arrived at Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport at 12:23 p.m. local time. Starlux will operate five passenger flights per week to Jakarta, the airline said in a statement issued Sunday.

At an arrival ceremony in Jakarta, Starlux Chief Strategy Officer Simon Liu (劉允富) said the carrier, which was founded in 2018, now has a fleet of 23 planes, which it plans to expand to 48 by the end of 2027.

Once it has the capacity to do so, Starlux also hopes to launch a service to Bali, Indonesia, Liu said at the event, which was also attended by Indonesian Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi and Taiwan's envoy to Indonesia, John C. Chen (陳忠).

Like competitors EVA Airways and China Airlines, Starlux is looking to capitalize on Taiwan's "prime geographic location," by establishing it as a major transit hub for passengers traveling between Southeast Asia and North America, Liu added.

In terms of North American destinations, Starlux currently offers services to Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle.