China Airlines, one of the nation’s leading international carriers, yesterday said it would launch a route from Tainan to Osaka, Japan, in October to tap the growing enthusiasm in southern Taiwan for travel to Japan amid the depreciation of the yen.
The flights are to begin on Oct. 28, with two round-trip flights between Tainan and Osaka each week. The carrier said it would use narrow-body Boeing 737-800s on the route.
Since 2013, China Airlines has provided charter-flight services between Tainan and Hong Kong. The carrier said the launch of regular flights between Tainan and Osaka is expected to boost business opportunities for the tourism industry in southern Taiwan.
The Japanese market has been one of the most important sources of sales for China Airlines, as cities such as Osaka and Tokyo are popular destinations for Taiwanese tourists, market analysts said.
The yen’s depreciation has led many local tourists to take advantage of the favorable exchange rate between the yen and the New Taiwan dollar, they added.
The carrier currently provides 21 regular, round-trip flights between Taipei and Osaka, and 12 regular, round-trip flights between Kaohsiung and Osaka per week. Once the Tainan-Osaka services begin, the number of weekly regular flights offered by China Airlines to Osaka from Taiwan will rise to 35.
In addition to Osaka, China Airlines has started serving southern Taiwan with seven round-trip flights between Kaohsiung and Tokyo per week, seven round-trip weekly flights between Kaohsiung and Okinawa, and five between Kaohsiung and Hokkaido.
In light of the new Tainan-Osaka services, some local travel agencies have unveiled related tour packages, including a five-day tour of Osaka with a four-night hotel stay, with a starting price of NT$15,200 per person, before taxes, they said.
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