CAL to launch Taipei-Phoenix route Dec. 3; Starlux to follow in 2026

Taipei, July 25 (CNA) China Airlines (CAL) said Friday it will launch direct flights between Taipei and Phoenix on Dec. 3, becoming the first Asian airline to serve the city in the southwestern United States.

The route will operate three times a week using Airbus A350-900 aircraft, and flights will depart Taoyuan International Airport at 10:55 a.m. on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, arriving in Phoenix at 8 a.m. (local time) on the same day, the carrier said.

Return flights will depart Phoenix at 11:55 a.m., make a stop in Los Angeles at 12:20 p.m., and arrive in Taipei the following day at 9:30 p.m., according to a CAL press release.

CAL described Phoenix as a rising tech hub with strong demand for business travel but also believed that the route will offer better connectivity to inland U.S. destinations via Phoenix's domestic flight network.

Separately, Taiwan-based Starlux Airlines announced it will begin nonstop Taipei-Phoenix service on Jan. 15, 2026, also using Airbus A350-900 aircraft.

Starlux said the route will operate three times weekly -- on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays -- through February, before increasing to four weekly flights in March with the addition of a Saturday service.