Phoenix, or “Silicon Desert” as some within the tech trade have branded it, simply landed its first nonstop flight to Asia on an airline that will come as a shock.
Starlux Airways, Taiwan’s “luxurious airline,” plans to attach Phoenix Sky Harbor Worldwide Airport (PHX) with Taiwan Taoyuan Worldwide Airport (TPE) in Taipei, Taiwan, starting in early 2026, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego announced Tuesday.
Whereas particulars are restricted till Starlux secures the mandatory regulatory approval, the airline plans to supply three or 4 weekly flights on board one in all its luxurious Airbus A350-900 planes to Phoenix.
“I knew from the second I set foot in Phoenix that STARLUX ought to make the funding to fly right here,” stated Ok.W. Chang, the chairman of Starlux, in an announcement. “Not solely is the expansion of enterprise between Taipei and Phoenix staggering, it is an ideal match for our degree of service.”
Starlux will provide Phoenix’s first nonstop flight to Asia, and be part of the handful of overseas intercontinental carriers on the airport. Air France connects the city with Paris and British Airways flies to London; American Airways additionally flies between Phoenix and London.
You might be asking: Why Phoenix? Of all of the potential U.S. locations for Starlux, the Arizona capital doesn’t essentially rise to the highest of the checklist.
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The airline at the moment serves Los Angeles Worldwide Airport (LAX), San Francisco Worldwide Airport (SFO) and Seattle-Tacoma Worldwide Airport (SEA), and flights to Southern California’s Ontario International Airport (ONT) start June 2.
Phoenix, nonetheless, makes lots of sense. First, Starlux faces no competitors on the route. The dearth of competitors might give the airline an edge in carrying each Taiwan- and Asia-bound Phoenicians on its flights over different airways’ connecting choices.
Possibly extra importantly, Phoenix is an rising tech hub for the semiconductor trade — therefore the Silicon Desert nickname. Producer Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., which makes chips for Apple, Nvidia and different corporations, is investing more than $65 billion in new Phoenix manufacturing services.
TSMC executives and employees members certainly have to fly backwards and forwards from Taipei in some way.
Along with the probably journey demand, Starlux will profit from up to $4 million in financial incentives from the Phoenix airport. The funds can be found for advertising help and payment waivers for the primary two years of a brand new route with no present service from Asia.
These are all good causes for the airline to a minimum of strive Taipei-Phoenix flights.
Vacationers can use Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles or Capital One miles to book Starlux’s new Phoenix flights when gross sales start.
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