By Kao Shih-ching / Staff reporter

Starting next month, StarLux Airlines Co () is to increase its number of flights to Macau and Penang, Malaysia, to meet rising air cargo demand and help its pilots build up flight hours, the airline said yesterday.

From Aug. 1, Starlux is to offer four round-trip flights from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to Macau International Airport every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, compared with three per week now, it said in a statement.

It would also operate three round-trip flights per week from Taoyuan to Penang International Airport every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, from two at present, it said.

Photo courtesy of StarLux Airlines

Although air travel is unlikely to rebound quickly in the third quarter as the COVID-19 pandemic shows no signs of slowing, Starlux decided to expand its operations on expectations that the air cargo business would remain rosy, spokesman Nieh Kuo-wei () told the Taipei Times by telephone.

The start-up airline, which was struck by the pandemic after beginning operations on Jan. 23, has been concentrating on cargo services between Taiwan and Macau and Penang to mitigate the effects of a faltering passenger business amid travel restrictions.

Frankly speaking, we would operate the flights even without any passenger, as the cargo revenue would be enough to cover variable costs, Nieh said.

However, StarLux has yet to resume its operations to Da Nang, as Vietnam has not eased its restrictions on air travel and cargo demand is low, he said.

Starlux also wants its pilots to accumulate more flight hours, which would give it an advantage when applying to the Civil Aeronautics Administration to launch new flights, Nieh said.

In related news, EVA Airways Corp () yesterday said it is likely to increase its flights in the third quarter, as many countries ease border controls.

We adjust our flight schedules on a rolling basis depending on the pandemic, official measures and consumer demand, it said.

In the short term, domestic air travel would continue to outperform international travel, as a mandatory 14-day quarantine for returning citizens has dampened desire to travel abroad, it said.

As EVA lends its planes to Uni Air (), which has been increasing its flights to outlying islands due to high demand, it also benefits from the domestic travel boost, it said.

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