After launching its first route to the U.S. in April, Taiwanese carrier Starlux Airlines has confirmed that San Francisco will be the airline’s second destination in the country.
Flights between Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and San Francisco International Airport will debut on Dec. 16, initially operating three times per week using Airbus A350-900 aircraft. Frequencies will be ramped up to daily from March 2024.
“With San Francisco’s proximity to Silicon Valley and status as a significant political, economic and tourism hub, the city by the bay has established itself as a top travel destination,” Starlux CEO Glenn Chai says. “And with one-third of its population of Asian descent, our new route will cater to these travelers’ needs too, whether they are visiting family, vacationing or traveling for work.”
Starlux added service to Los Angeles International Airport in late April, two years after securing a foreign air carrier permit from the U.S. Transportation Department. Flights were initially 5X-weekly but have since increased to daily.
In the Taipei-San Francisco market, the airline will face competition from rivals Eva Air and China Airlines, which operate the 6,454-mi. (5,608-nm) sector 3X-daily and 9X-weekly respectively at the present time. United Airlines also offers daily service, but frequencies will rise to double-daily from late October.
Starlux will have a seat capacity share of about 6% once its flights begin, data provided by OAG Schedules Analyser shows. Eva will have a 45.4% share, followed by United with 28.4% and China Airlines with 20.2%.
Alongside the planned San Francisco launch, Starlux has revealed that it intends to make Seattle its third destination in the U.S. during 2024. The airline already has a partnership with Alaska Airlines. At the present time, Eva is the sole operator of nonstop flights between Taipei and Seattle.
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