Starlux adds fourth weekly Taipei-Prague flight

Prague, Oct. 18 (CNA) Starlux Airlines, Taiwan's newest international carrier, has increased its Taipei-Prague service to four nonstop flights a week from Oct. 1, up from three when the route was launched in August, the airline said Sunday.

Together with China Airlines' three weekly Taipei-Prague services, the expansion gives travelers a daily nonstop option between Taiwan and the Czech capital.

China Airlines launched its Prague route in 2023 and increased it to three weekly flights in April.

Starlux inaugurated its Prague route on Aug. 1 as its first European destination, becoming the second Taiwanese carrier to fly direct to the Czech capital.

Starlux spokesperson Walter Liang (梁文龍) said the route's passenger load factor was 82 percent in August and is expected to stay above 80 percent in November despite the low season for European travel, helped by Czech travelers flying to Japan via Taiwan.

Liang said the direct service is expected to boost not only two-way tourism but also investment and business cooperation involving Taiwan's semiconductor supply chain.

According to CzechTourism, Taiwanese visitor arrivals in Czechia reached 108,800 in the first eight months of 2026, up 5.9 percent from a year earlier. In August alone, arrivals rose 21.1 percent year on year to 15,900.

The expansion also comes as Taiwanese semiconductor suppliers increase investments in Central Europe following Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.'s project in Dresden, Germany.

They include TaMiCo Technology Taiwan Ltd., which plans to build a plant for cleaning and surface-treating semiconductor components in the Czech region of Ústí nad Labem, near the German border.

Prague remains a top destination, with major attractions including the 14th-century Charles Bridge, Old Town Square, the Astronomical Clock, and the Petřín Funicular cable car.

To promote the route, Starlux named pop icon Jolin Tsai (蔡依林) as brand ambassador to produce a new version of her hit song "Prague Square."

The airline also deployed two Airbus A350-1000 jetliners in special "Sorayama Gold" and "Sorayama Silver" liveries created with Japanese artist Hajime Sorayama, and on Oct. 1 launched fully "AIRSORAYAMA"-themed flights, from check-in to onboard amenities.

Liang said the art-themed aircraft have also driven high load factors on other routes, with early-morning Tokyo flights averaging around 90 percent and Phoenix services continuing to perform strongly.