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Taiwan’s regulator clears path for StarLux launch
October 13th 2017
The Taiwanese Ministry of Transportation and Communications has approved a revision to the criteria governing the issuance of new air operator licences that was proposed by the country’s Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA). Read More »
Until the rule is changed, new entrants must have been running an international transport or trade business with an annual operating income of at least NT$6 billion (US$196 million) for a minimum three consecutive years and have a paid-in capital of at least NT$2 billion before they can apply for an AOC.
The less restrictive requirements include a reduction in paid-in capital to at least NT$6 billion, a minimum three aircraft and a core management team comprising five qualified individuals with a proven track record in aviation.
Industry insiders and Taiwanese media have dubbed the revision the “Chang Kuo-wei exemption”, a reference to former EVA Airways CEO and Evergreen Group heir, Chang Kuo-wei, who decided to launch his own airline, StarLux Airlines, after he was ousted as EVA’s boss in a family led coup in 2016. The start-up is expected to apply for an AOC before the end of the year.
StarLux will be “the new hope of Taiwan's aviation industry”, Chang said. The new carrier will be a tier-one international full-service airline with a fleet of A321s and A350 and/or B787/B777X aircraft to serve international gateways from Taipei. The new airline will be headquartered in Taipei and will “convey a sense of luxury” and have its own MRO division, Chang said. StarLux will go head-to-head with EVA and Taiwan’s China Airlines (CAL).
