Starlux to launch Kobe routes from Taoyuan, Taichung

Taipei, Feb. 5 (CNA) Starlux Airlines, Taiwan's newest international carrier, announced Wednesday that it will launch direct flights to Kobe, Japan, from Taoyuan and Taichung on April 18 to meet the growing demand for travel to Japan.

The airline will operate round-trip flights using Airbus A321neo aircraft, with three weekly flights between Taoyuan and Kobe and daily flights between Taichung and Kobe.

On the Taoyuan-Kobe route, flights will depart Taoyuan at 6:20 a.m. and arrive in Kobe at 10 a.m. (local time), while return flights will leave Kobe at 11 a.m. (local time) and land in Taoyuan at 1 p.m.

For the Taichung-Kobe route, flights will take off from Taichung at 8:45 a.m. and land in Kobe at 12:30 p.m. (local time). The return leg will depart Kobe at 1:30 p.m. (local time) and arrive in Taichung at 3:35 p.m.

According to Tourism Administration data, Japan was the most popular destination for outbound Taiwanese travelers from January to November last year, accounting for 33 percent of 15 million departures in total.