Major Taiwanese airlines report high sales in January

Taipei, Feb. 11 (CNA) Taiwan's major international carriers capitalized on robust tourism demand in January, with China Airlines (CAL) hitting a sales milestone and rival EVA Airways (EVA Air) breaking records in passenger flight revenue.

CAL said it posted a new monthly high of NT$19.29 billion (US$587 million) in consolidated sales in January, up 21.12 percent from a year earlier. Revenue generated from passenger flights hit NT$12.62 billion, up 16.93 percent year-on-year.

The carrier said the airline business entered its peak season in the first quarter, driven by the winter vacation and Lunar New Year holiday, resulting in a load factor -- an industry metric for measuring the percentage of passenger capacity used -- topping 90 percent for most northeast Asia.

CAL said air cargo revenue in January totaled NT$5.28 billion, up 30.84 percent from a year earlier due to an increase in shipments ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday. Due to higher demand, cargo freight rates also moved higher, the carrier said.

CAL added that it will continue expanding cargo services. On Feb. 7, a new route to Toronto was launched, making a transit stop in Anchorage of the United States.

EVA Air said it posted NT$20.045 billion in consolidated sales in January, behind only NT$20.054 billion in December. Revenue from passenger flights hit a new high of NT$13.75 billion in January, up 10.32 percent from a year earlier.

EVA Air said the load factor on flights to North American and European destinations hit almost 90 percent due to visits to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held in Las Vegas and trips abroad for the Christmas season.

In the region, the load factor in destinations to Japan and South Korea also topped 85 percent, EVA Air said.

EVA Air said it plans to launch a new route between Taoyuan and Kobe on April 18 to boost the number of flights between Taiwan and the Kansai region in Japan to 36 a week, the highest among Taiwanese carriers.

Meanwhile, Starlux Airlines, the newest international carrier in Taiwan, and Tigerair Taiwan, the only budget airline in the country, also reported high sales in January due to the Lunar New Year holiday.

Starlux Airlines posted NT$4.24 billion in consolidated sales, up 71 percent from a year earlier. Revenue from passenger flights was up 70 percent year-on-year at NT$3.79 billion and cargo revenue soared more than 100 percent to NT$292 million.

The carrier said it will launch two new routes between Taipei and Kobe and Taichung and Kobe on April 18.

Tigerair Taiwan said it posted NT$1.69 billion in consolidated sales in January, up 31.2 percent from a year earlier. It will take delivery of two A320neo planes in the second half of this year as part of efforts to upgrade its fleet, according to Tigerair Taiwan.