STARLUX Airlines launched a direct Taipei–Prague route in August, its first move into Europe this year, and increased the service to four weekly flights from October, CNA reported. Together with China Airlines' earlier Prague service, the two carriers form a direct network giving Taiwan and the Czech Republic daily flights from October.
STARLUX public relations chief Liang Wen-lung said the Prague route recorded a monthly load factor of 82% after its 1 August launch, and that after the October increase to four weekly flights, the load factor stayed above 80% even as Europe entered the low season in November. He said peak-season traffic comes from Taiwanese travellers heading to Prague, while the low season benefits from Czech passengers travelling to Taiwan and connecting onward to Japan.
According to STARLUX, the Prague route expands tourism business between the two sides and also helps link bilateral corporate investment and semiconductor supply chain exchanges. Liang said he sees the direct-flight effect connecting Taiwan and the Czech Republic in tourism as well as corporate investment and semiconductor supply chain cooperation.
Citing Czech Tourist Authority data, the report said 102,700 Taiwanese visitors travelled to the Czech Republic in January to August 2025, rising to 108,800 this year, an increase of 5.9% year on year. In August this year, 15,900 Taiwanese visitors arrived in the Czech Republic, compared with 13,100 in August last year, up 21.07%.
On the industrial side, TSMC's plant in Dresden, Germany, has encouraged Taiwanese supply chain companies to expand into neighbouring Czech Republic. Taiwan's Komico Technology plans to invest in a plant in the Ústí nad Labem region on the Czech-German border, engaged in cleaning and surface treatment of semiconductor components.
STARLUX has also invited singer Jolin Tsai to serve as ambassador for the Prague route, reinterpreting her hit song "Prague Square" as producer of the single.
STARLUX also worked with Japanese artist Hajime Sorayama to paint two next-generation Airbus A350-1000 aircraft as the "Sorayama Gold" and "Sorayama Silver" art jets. They entered service on Tokyo and Phoenix routes from July, began flying the Prague route on 1 September, and AIRSORAYAMA-themed flights started on 1 October. Liang said the Tokyo morning service currently runs at a load factor of about 90%, and Phoenix also maintains a high load factor.
