The Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) on Tuesday officially welcomed the inaugural flight from Taoyuan International Airport in Taiwan.

Executives from the GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corporation (GMCAC), along with the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) officials, personally attended the inaugural ceremony, giving wishes to passengers departing for Taipei on the same day with a cake-cutting ceremony and a water cannon salute.

Starlux Airlines commenced its daily flights to Taipei from MCIA using its 188-seater Airbus A321neo with a schedule of arrival at the MCIA Terminal 2 at 1:05 p.m. and departing for Taoyuan International Airport at 2:05 p.m. PST.

According to the GMCAC statement, Starlux Airlines offers more options for passengers to visit Taiwanese tourist attractions with the addition of this new service with the upcoming Chinese New Year.

“The addition of Starlux reinforces our commitment in establishing more connectivity for our passengers and the luxurious experience that Starlux offers also helps us in bringing more options and better passenger experience. We are grateful and looking with much anticipation as we welcome Starlux into our network,” GMCAC Director Rafael Aboitiz said.

Julius Neri Jr., MCIAA general manager and chief executive officer, said the expansion of Starlux is a welcome development for the Cebuano community, citing its timeliness with the airport’s recovery effort amid the Covid-19 pandemic that stalled the travel industry.

“It is with much delight and gratitude to welcome Starlux Airlines to MCIA with its Cebu to Taipei service. The expansion of Starlux route to Cebu gives us an avenue to attain our goal of recovery and establishing wider connectivity,” Neri said.

Starlux, the newest Taiwanese international airline company with headquarters in Taipei, Taiwan, now serves 15 routes including Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Okinawa, Sapporo, Macau, Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hanoi, Manila, and Cebu.

With the recent delivery of its A350-900XWB, Starlux will further expand its routes in North America, giving Cebu, and other Visayas and Mindanao passengers access to North America.

With the addition of this new carrier, the premier airport in Central Visayas located on Mactan Island now has 14 foreign and four Philippine-based airline partners connecting to 26 domestic destinations and 10 international destinations. (PNA)