AirAsia to launch Taipei-Fukuoka route on Aug. 15

Taipei, June 2 (CNA) AirAsia will begin offering flights connecting Taoyuan to Fukuoka in Japan from Aug. 15, the low-cost carrier announced on Monday.

Tickets are currently on sale through the budget airline's website, which also indicates that flights are available daily.

According to an AirAsia press release on Monday, the itinerary will be part of its Sabah (Kota Kinabalu) to Fukuoka route.

The company revealed that not only is the new route the first time the airline will fly to a destination on Japan's Kyushu Island, it will also be its 13th route with Taiwan as a connecting location.

AirAsia said that with the initiation of the Sabah-Taipei-Fukuoka route, the East Malaysia city will become the second largest air hub in the Southeast Asian country.

In addition, the company will continue to advance its East Asia network to strengthen the connection between Asian countries, while further cultivating tourism and economic growth within the countries, it said.

Japan is currently the most popular destination for travelers from Taiwan, with Tourism Bureau statistics revealing that more than 1.08 million Taiwanese nationals visited Japan between January and February this year.

As a result of Japan's popularity in Taiwan, numerous airlines have designed new routes to connect Taiwan with various cities in Japan.

Other than AirAsia, Starlux will also expand its operations in Japan in August by offering limited flights to Miyakojima on top of the weekly flights to Kobe which the airline recently initiated.

Meanwhile, Tigerair launched the Tottori and Oita routes, while Taiwan's China Airlines has resumed flying to Ishigaki Island.

Eva Air has also begun flights connecting Taoyuan and Kobe, according to the airline's website.