StarLux to seek Oneworld Alliance membership by end of 2025

Taipei, Sept. 17 (CNA) StarLux Airlines, Taiwan's newest international carrier, has announced it will apply to join the global airline alliance Oneworld before the end of 2025.

In an investor conference held Monday, StarLux Airlines Chief Executive Officer Chai Chien-hua (翟健華) said that StarLux joining would help the alliance access Taiwan for the first time.

Chai said that if accepted, StarLux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs.

The Oneworld Alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories.

Joining Oneworld would also help boost the efficiency of StarLux Airlines, Chai said.

China Airlines, one of the two leading international carriers in Taiwan, is in the SkyTeam Airline Alliance, while the other, EVA Airways, is a member of Star Alliance.

Chai said there is room for StarLux Airlines to expand into the global market. He noted that the capacity of China Airlines and EVA Airways is only 65 percent of that of the international Singaporean carriers and that Starlux could help expand the Taiwanese airline business.

StarLux Airlines said it expects to continue raking in profits in the third quarter. With international crude oil prices falling, that profit is expected to rise.

StarLux Airlines, which was set up on May 2, 2018 and flew its maiden flights in 2020, turned a profit for the first time in 2023, when it posted a net profit of NT$149 million (US$4.66 million) with earnings per share (EPS) at NT$0.08. In the first half of this year, the carrier's EPS stood at NT$0.39, up from US$0.18 over the same period of last year.

According to StarLux Airlines, it currently operates 29 routes to 27 destinations. The carrier plans to launch new flights to North America, Europe, China and Australia.

StarLux Airlines launched its direct flights between Taipei and Seattle on Aug. 16. The city is the third destination in the U.S., after Los Angeles and San Francisco, the airline services.

StarLux Chairman Chang Kuo-wei (張國煒) said last week that the carrier is looking to increase its flights to L.A. and Seattle, and is also eyeing other U.S. destinations such as New York, Dallas and Houston.

The average number of StarLux flights hit 238 a week in 2024. That figure is expected to rise to 278 in 2025.

At the end of August, StarLux took delivery of its sixth A350-900 passenger aircraft and will introduce two more by the end of this year, boosting its fleet to 26.

The fleet is expected to expand to 33 in 2025 and 53 in 2029.

StarLux will take delivery of five A350F cargo planes from 2027 to 2029 and said it is upbeat about the transit and cargo business.

StarLux has secured approval from the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) to move its listing to the local main board from the emerging market. Its shares are expected to trade on the TWSE by the end of this year.

In Taiwan, a company must list its shares on the emerging market for at least six months before seeking to transfer to the main board or the over-the-counter (OTC) market.