TransAsia Airways Corp, a Taiwanese mid-sized international carrier, said yesterday it is considering the possibility of launching flights to Hawaii as part of efforts to expand operations.
After Taiwan gained admission to the US Visa Waiver Program on Nov. 1, the airline began mulling flying to the US state of Hawaii on expectations of an increase in the number of Taiwanese visitors to the US, TransAsia said.
With the carrier to take delivery of its first mid-range wide-body A330-300 aircraft later in the month and its second one in January next year, TransAsia said it was gearing up for expanding its services to more distant destinations.
The carrier said it is studying the possibility of expanding its services to Guam, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East to make better use of the two new A330-300s.
Currently, the airline provides 66 round-trip flights per week to 14 international destinations, including Osaka, Okinawa, Sapporo and Hakodate in Japan, Jeju in South Korea, Hanoi in Vietnam and Singapore.
The carrier also offers 46 round-trip flights per week to 13 Chinese cities, including Shanghai, Xuzhou, Changsha, Wuhan, Fuzhou and Xiamen.
TransAsia said it is planning to start flights between Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and Tokyo’s Narita Airport, as well as to extend its reach to Southeast Asian cities in the near future, including Bangkok, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur.
At present, TransAsia operates a fleet of five A321s, four A320s and 9 ATR-500s.
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