As an effect of the falling demand and heightening restrictions picked up by the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak (COVID19), Taiwan-based airlines Starlux Airlines and China Airlines announced that they are delaying the launch of its inaugural flights between Taipei-Taoyuan, Taiwan and Mactan-Cebu, Philippines.
A report from Taiwanese news agency Focus Taiwan revealed the intentions of China Airlines to delay the launch of its six-weekly service from Taoyuan to Cebu from the initially scheduled maiden date of March 29, 2020, to June 12, 2020.
CAL is currently taking measures to alleviate the impact of the COVID19 outbreak, which caused a severe decline of air passenger traffic that has affected airline companies worldwide. Aside from the delayed launches, the airline is also scaling back operations in the Philippines.
The airline is also taking preventive measures as it cuts salaries of affiliated companies and overseas-based personnel to a relatively massive 10 percent. Also, CAL offers its staff to make the annual leave during the lean season.
Similarly, the newcomer carrier Starlux Airlines, which has just started operating three weeks ago, has been hit with a bad start on its career due to the outbreak. Currently, Starlux operates a fleet of three Airbus A321neo with seven more on order, and nine Airbus A350-900 and eight Airbus A350-1000 on order.
With this, Starlux will delay the inaugural flight to Cebu from April 6, 2020, to July 1, 2020. JX-781 and JX-782, however, will still operate daily every afternoon. Flights will be on-board the carrier’s 188-seat Airbus A321neo jet.
The Philippine government recently lifted the travel ban it imposed for all flights going to and from Taiwan in a bid to curb the spread of the COVID19 disease which has now infected 67,100 people and claimed the lives of 1,526.
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