TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Japan’s Star Flyer will resume international flights next year, targeting Taiwanese tourists as domestic business travel remains weak, Nikkei Asia reported Tuesday.
The Kyushu-based regional airline has not operated scheduled international routes since March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic halted overseas travel. It resumed limited charter flights to Taiwan in 2023 but has yet to reestablish regular services.
“We will restart international flights sometime in 2026,” Star Flyer President Machida Osamu said. “We want to take advantage of Kyushu’s proximity to Asia.”
Star Flyer is considering routes linking Taiwan with Kitakyushu Airport, its 24-hour hub, and nearby Fukuoka Airport, which recently expanded capacity with a second runway. The airline expects to restore international service in the second half of next year once passenger and ticketing systems are upgraded.
The carrier suspended flights between Taoyuan International Airport and Kitakyushu and Chubu Centrair near Nagoya during the pandemic. Before then, Taiwan was a key overseas market for Star Flyer, reflecting the island’s growing demand for regional Japanese destinations.
The return to international routes comes as Star Flyer struggles with sluggish domestic demand. The rise of virtual meetings has reduced business travel, historically its most profitable segment, forcing airlines to discount heavily to attract leisure passengers.
A weak yen, higher fuel and maintenance costs, and price-sensitive Japanese travelers have further pressured profits. By contrast, Taiwan’s purchasing power is much stronger, with GDP per capita projected by the International Monetary Fund to reach NT$2.5 million (US$84,000) this year, about 50% higher than Japan’s.
Star Flyer expects its nonconsolidated net profit to fall 8% to NT$350 million in the fiscal year ending March 2026. “There are limits to what we can achieve with domestic routes alone,” Machida said. “We want to seek new demand through international routes.”
Other Japanese carriers are also betting on inbound travel. Skymark will launch charter flights between Kobe and Taiwan this October, while ANA and Japan Airlines plan to expand their international operations by up to 50% by fiscal 2030 compared with 2023 levels.
