Delta Air Lines will be cutting its Taipei (TPE)-Tokyo Narita (NRT) service effective May 25, terminating its sole route serving Taiwan, The China Post reports. The final flight of the daily round-trip service, which Delta launched in 2010 as a way to connect travellers travelling between Taipei and the US via Tokyo, will depart Taipei Taoyuan International Airport on May 24.
The move is part of Delta’s plan to shift more flights to Tokyo Haneda Airport. Expanded daytime options at Haneda have diminished traffic flowing through its current hub at the out-of-town Narita airport, forcing the airline to restructure some of its Narita schedules, USA Today reports.
Travellers currently booked on flights after May 24 will be offered refunds or seats on other airlines, said Delta spokesperson Anthony Black.
Delta’s Taiwan flights are currently served by a Boeing 767-300 aircraft. DL 578 departs TPE at 1130 and arrives at NRT at 1535, while DL 579 departs NRT at 1705 and arrives in TPE at 2035. Fellow Skyteam member, China Airlines, flies direct between TPE and NRT three times daily, with flights CI100/107 matching Delta’s schedule most closely.
In related news, Taiwanese carrier and Star Alliance member Eva Air recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Tourism Authority of Thailand aimed at bringing travellers from North America to Thailand via Taiwan. Eva Air currently operates 80 flights per week between North America and Taiwan, most recently launching its Taipei-Chicago service in November.
