Starlux Airlines to relaunch Taipei-Manila route in December

Taipei, Oct. 2 (CNA) Taiwanese carrier Starlux Airlines said Thursday it will relaunch Taipei-Manila flights on Dec. 16, offering one daily round-trip service between Taiwan and the Philippine capital.

Flight JX785 will depart from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport at 8:20 a.m. and arrive at Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 11:05 a.m., the airline said in a press release.

On the return journey, flight JX786 will leave Manila at 11:50 a.m. and arrive in Taoyuan at 2:05 p.m.

Starlux suspended the route in March 2024 after reporting weak ticket sales in 2023, which it attributed to late-night flight times.

The airline said it decided to revive the service in response to growing business ties between Taipei and Manila, with tickets available starting Thursday.

"Relaunching the route not only meets business and tourism demand, but also strengthens our presence in Southeast Asia," said Starlux CEO Glenn Chai (翟健華).

Starlux also operates daily roundtrip flights to Cebu and Clark International Airport in the Philippines, according to its website.