Taiwanese start-up carrier Starlux Airlines has been approved by local authorities, which will officially allow it to operate as a commercial airline.
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications in Taiwan approved the airline’s Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) on Tuesday, and an official letter will be sent by the Civil Aeronautics Administration to the airline at a later date.
An AOC is the approval granted by a civil aviation authority to an airline, allowing it to use aircraft for commercial purposes.
According to Yahoo News Taiwan, Nieh Kuo-Wei, public relations manager of Starlux Airlines, said once the airline receives the official letter from the Civil Aeronautics Administration, it will apply for aviation call signs from International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the airline code from International Air Transport Association (IATA), and air route certificates from the Civil Aeronautics Administration.
Starlux Airlines plans to launch its inaugural flights on January 23, 2020. The airline will use its first three Airbus A321neo aircraft to fly to Macau, Da Nang in Vietnam and Penang in Malaysia.
Local news websites in Taiwan reported that that sales of flight tickets is expected to start in mid- or late December. The reports added that the airline is expected to unveil details of its in-flight meals, amenities and services on Friday.
The airline has agreed to lease 10 A321neos from GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS), and it expects to receive all of the A321neos by 2021. In March this year, the airline also confirmed an order of 17 A350XWB aircraft, which will be delivered to the airline from the second half of 2021.
Starlux Airlines received its first A321neo aircraft in late October, and has unveiled the cabin design, seat products and safety video.
