The new airline will sign an agreement with Airbus on Tuesday to purchase 17 A350 wide-body aircraft
Taiwan News
Date: 2019/03/18
By: George Liao,Taiwan News, Staff Writer
A350 XWB (By Wikimedia Commons)
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwan’s StarLux Airlines Co. (星宇航空), which plans to start operating flights early next year, will sign an agreement with Airbus in Taipei on Tuesday to purchase 17 A350 wide-body aircraft, Central News Agency (CNA) reported on Monday.
The deal is Airbus’ largest ever single order by a Taiwanese airline, according to Airbus data, CNA reported.
StarLux chairman Chang Kuo-wei (張國煒) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Airbus to purchase 17 A350XWB, including 5 A350-900 and 12 A350-1000, when he attended the Farnborough Airshow in the UK last July, the news outlet said.
The aircraft purchase agreement will be co-signed by Chang, Christain Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), and Paul Freestone, aircraft-engine producer Rolls-Royce’s senior vice-president, in Taipei, according to CNA.
After the signing of the agreement, StarLux will become Taiwan’s first airline to introduce A350-1000 aircraft.
Chang, who is a commercial pilot, was invited to experience the flight of A350-1000 early last year. He said that he was deeply impressed by the excellent performance and control of A350 aircraft, and considered A350-1000 very suitable for Taiwan’s geographic position and StarLux’s future flight route development. [FULL STORY]