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Taiwanese carrier STARLUX has confirmed it will fly between Sydney and Taipei starting next year.
While details have yet to be finalised, the airline has chosen Sydney as its first Australian destination, with an onward service planned to Auckland, and will compete with China Airlines on the route.
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“We’re proud to welcome STARLUX Airlines to Sydney providing passengers with more choice, competition, and connectivity,” said Sydney Airport CEO Scott Charlton.
“This new partnership reflects the continued demand for premium travel experiences and reinforces the importance of Sydney Airport as a key global aviation hub.”
According to figures cited by the airport, Taiwan is “one of Sydney’s fastest-growing travel markets”, with almost 194,000 passengers in 2025 – up 18 per cent on the previous year.
“It also plays a critical role as a regional hub, providing Sydney passengers with convenient onward connections to Europe, Japan and the United States,” the airport said.
In a statement, Glenn Chai, CEO of STARLUX Airlines, said his carrier has “quickly built a reputation for premium service and customer experience” since its launch in 2020.
“Sydney is one of the world’s great gateway cities and we are excited to connect travellers with our award-winning service and premium travel experience,” he said.
“This new route will strengthen links between Australia and Taiwan, while providing customers with seamless connections through Taipei to destinations across Asia and beyond.
“We look forward to welcoming Australian travellers on board and building a long-term presence in this important market.”
The announcement comes after Sydney Airport reported record international capacity for the first quarter of 2026, with 4.57 million international passengers, despite the impact of the conflict in the Middle East.
New Zealand and mainland China were Sydney’s largest international markets for the quarter, up 13.5 per cent and 14.0 per cent respectively year-on-year.
“Asia‑Pacific destinations continued to account for much of the overall increase in international traffic. Passenger volumes on services to and from Kuala Lumpur increased by 32.3 per cent, while services to and from Guangzhou recorded growth of 38.5 per cent,” the airport said in April.
“Travel through Hong Kong, Shanghai and Seoul also increased by 21.4 per cent, 7.6 per cent and 5.7 per cent respectively.”
According to the airport, international growth was “underpinned by increased airline capacity and sustained demand across Asia-Pacific and major long-haul markets” despite the uncertainty in the Persian Gulf resulting from the Iran conflict, which started at the end of February.
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