Three Taiwanese airlines yesterday reported robust revenue growth for last month, as passenger demand picked up after border controls were relaxed.
China Airlines Ltd (中華航空) posted revenue of NT$12.67 billion (US$410.7 million) for last month, the highest for February in the past five years, as passenger revenue advanced 866 percent year-on-year to NT$7.08 billion, company data showed.
Bolstered by robust demand for flights to Japan and South Korea, revenue from flights to Northeast Asian destinations increased, contributing most to overall revenue, China Airlines said in a statement.
Photo: CNA
Revenue from flights to North America also increased, further contributing to the company’s sales momentum, it added.
“We provided 30 percent more flights in the first quarter than a year earlier, and also launched a campaign to boost sales during the long 228 Memorial Day holiday and Valentine’s Day,” the airline said.
However, its cargo revenue halved from a year earlier to NT$4.83 billion for last month, as demand fell amid slower economic growth, the airline said.
Starlux Airlines Co (星宇航空) yesterday posted revenue of NT$1.37 billion for last month, down 10 percent from January, but up 2,029 percent from a year earlier, company data showed.
The airline said that passenger revenue expanded 3,760 percent annually to NT$1.21 billion in light of rising demand for air travel, while its cargo revenue rose 326 percent to NT$122 million amid recovering demand after the Lunar New Year holiday, it said.
Starlux said it would launch a new route from Taipei to Sendai, Japan, next month and a new route from Taipei to Los Angeles, adding that it would increase its network points to 17.
Expecting demand for air travel to resume quickly, the airline said it is planning to launch more new routes in Asia, while it has begun to use wide-body aircraft for its Northeast Asian flights to provide at least 10 percent more seats.
Starlux said it would receive two new Airbus A350-900 jets this year, raising its fleet size to 21.
Meanwhile, EVA Airways Corp (長榮航空) posted an annual rise in revenue of 48 percent to NT$12.88 billion for last month, company data showed.
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