Starlux to launch direct Bali flights in October

Taipei, April 8 (CNA) Starlux Airlines announced Wednesday that it will launch direct flights between Taipei and the Indonesian island of Bali starting Oct. 1, with tickets now on sale.

The Taiwan-based carrier said in a press release that the route will be operated by new-generation Airbus A321neo aircraft.

The service will initially offer five flights per week, it added.

Starlux CEO Glenn Chai (翟健華) said Bali has long been a popular destination among global travelers and is a well-established tourism market in both Taiwan and Western countries.

With the airline's expansion of long-haul routes to North America and Europe, Starlux "expects to reach more Western travelers transiting through Taiwan to Bali, further boosting transfer traffic between Europe, the United States and Southeast Asia," Chai said.

Following the launch of the Taipei-Bali route, Starlux said it will serve more than 13 destinations in Southeast Asia. The carrier will also launch flights to its first South Korean destination, Busan, on June 1, and its first European route to Prague on Aug. 1.