STARLUX Airlines

STARLUX Airlines was founded in October 2018 by Chang Kuo-wei — who had previously served as President of EVA Air before departing to launch this new venture — with backing from a consortium of Taiwanese investors and Chang's own considerable personal resources and aviation expertise. The airline received its operating license from the Taiwan Civil Aeronautics Administration in December 2019 and launched commercial service on January 23, 2020 with an inaugural flight from Taipei Taoyuan to Macau. The timing was extraordinarily challenging: STARLUX launched just weeks before COVID-19 triggered global travel collapse. Despite this devastating start, STARLUX survived by careful cash management and the strong backing of its investors, gradually building its network as travel restrictions eased.

The airline's order for Airbus A350 aircraft was a statement of long-term intent — announcing STARLUX's ambition to serve transatlantic and North American routes. STARLUX launched its first long-haul service to Los Angeles in April 2023.