Starlux Airlines is to launch direct flights on June 1 between Taoyuan and Busan, as well as the first direct route between Taichung and Busan by a Taiwanese carrier, the company said today.
According to Starlux, the newest international carrier in Taiwan, tickets for both routes are to go on sale starting on Thursday.
Photo: Tsai Yun-jung, Taipei Times
Flights between Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and South Korea's Gimhae International Airport in Busan would be offered every day, while flights from Taichung International Airport and Busan would be offered on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday mornings departing at 8:10am.
For the Taoyuan-Busan route, flights are to depart from Taiwan on Monday and Wednesday mornings at 8:15am and on the other days of the week at 2:45pm, a tentative schedule showed.
South Korea was the third most-popular destination among Taiwanese last year, behind Japan and China in first and second, Tourism Administration statistics showed.
On the launch of Starlux's Taiwan-Busan route, Starlux Airlines CEO Glenn Chai (翟健華) said the move would not only extend the airline's international service, but also be a milestone marking Starlux's entry into the South Korean market.
In addition, while both routes would be Starlux's first services between Taiwan and South Korea, the Taichung-Busan line would be the first of its kind by a Taiwanese carrier.
Chai said that the Taichung-Busan route also represents an effort by Starlux to bring convenience to Taichung travelers.
The new Taiwan-South Korea routes would be added to Starlux's existing 37 routes to 31 cities in North America and Asia, with Prague currently scheduled as the carrier's first service to Europe, starting on Aug. 1.
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