Starlux Airlines today confirmed it is planning to launch direct flights to Phoenix in February next year.
Starlux's confirmation came after Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said in a statement posted on the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport's Web site yesterday that the airline would begin nonstop flights between the US airport and Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport early next year, pending final government approval.
Photo courtesy of Starlux Airlines
According to the statement, Starlux is to fly to Phoenix three to four times a week.
Gallego said the flights would be the first nonstop air services between Asia and Phoenix.
It comes following a commitment by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) to invest US$165 billion in chip production in Arizona.
"Phoenix's first nonstop flight to Asia reflects the incredible strides we've made with our local economy, and our emergence as an international city," Gallego said in the statement.
"TSMC's historic investment in Phoenix has brought thousands of high-wage jobs and boosted our reputation as a semiconductor hub, and now it's helping increase air service demand," she added.
The statement cited the airport's most recent economic impact report as saying Phoenix international flights add more than US$3 billion to the local economy each year, and the Starlux service alone could have an economic impact of more than US$100 million a year.
Also in the statement, Starlux chairman Chang Kuo-Wei (張國煒) said that from the moment when he set foot in Phoenix, he knew the carrier should make an investment there.
"Not only is the growth of business between Taipei and Phoenix staggering, it's a perfect match for our level of service. We are proud and honored to be the first carrier to provide nonstop Asia service for the Phoenix community," Chang said.
Starlux said services to Phoenix would initially begin using A350-900 aircraft equipped with 306 seats, and tickets would be available once it secures government approval.
The carrier said it is upbeat about the potential for Phoenix as a destination, because of its rise as a hub for industrial innovation and a technology ecosystem that has attracted tech giants such as TSMC.
TSMC already has one fab in the Phoenix area that has begun mass-producing chips, a second fab for which construction is nearly complete and a third fab that held its groundbreaking ceremony last month.
The manufacture of the remaining 28 M1A2T Abrams tanks Taiwan purchased from the US has recently been completed, and they are expected to be delivered within the next one to two months, a source said yesterday. The Ministry of National Defense is arranging cargo ships to transport the tanks to Taiwan as soon as possible, said the source, who is familiar with the matter. The estimated arrival time ranges from late this month to early next month, the source said. The 28 Abrams tanks make up the third and final batch of a total of 108 tanks, valued at about NT$40.5 billion
Two Taiwanese prosecutors were questioned by Chinese security personnel at their hotel during a trip to China’s Henan Province this month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. The officers had personal information on the prosecutors, including “when they were assigned to their posts, their work locations and job titles,” MAC Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said. On top of asking about their agencies and positions, the officers also questioned the prosecutors about the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement, a pact that serves as the framework for Taiwan-China cooperation on combating crime and providing judicial assistance, Liang
A group from the Taiwanese Designers in Australia association yesterday represented Taiwan at the Midsumma Pride March in Melbourne. The march, held in the St. Kilda suburb, is the city’s largest LGBTQIA+ parade and the flagship event of the annual Midsumma Festival. It attracted more than 45,000 spectators who supported the 400 groups and 10,000 marchers that participated this year, the association said. Taiwanese Designers said they organized a team to march for Taiwan this year, joining politicians, government agencies, professionals and community organizations in showing support for LGBTQIA+ people and diverse communities. As the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex
MOTIVES QUESTIONED The PLA considers Xi’s policies toward Taiwan to be driven by personal considerations rather than military assessment, the Epoch Times reports Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) latest purge of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) leadership might have been prompted by the military’s opposition to plans of invading Taiwan, the Epoch Times said. The Chinese military opposes waging war against Taiwan by a large consensus, putting it at odds with Xi’s vision, the Falun Gong-affiliated daily said in a report on Thursday, citing anonymous sources with insight into the PLA’s inner workings. The opposition is not the opinion of a few generals, but a widely shared view among the PLA cadre, the Epoch Times cited them as saying. “Chinese forces know full well that
RSS