Starlux Airlines flew its first-ever service to Europe on August 1, 2026, connecting Taipei Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) with Vaclav Havel Airport Prague (PRG) and giving the premium Taiwanese carrier its first foothold on the continent. The launch makes Starlux only the second Taiwanese airline to operate a direct link to the Czech capital, following compatriot China Airlines.
The inaugural flight carried unusual significance in the cockpit: Starlux Chairman K.W. Chang piloted the maiden service himself. According to flight-tracking data, the aircraft departed Taipei at 00:50 local time and touched down in Prague at 09:01 local time.
Starlux will operate the route three times a week — on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays — before stepping up to four weekly rotations from October 1, 2026. On the regular schedule, outbound flights are timed to leave Taipei at 00:10 local time and arrive in Prague at 07:50, while the return leg departs Prague at 10:20 and lands back in Taipei at 05:10 the following day.
The service is launching with the Airbus A350-900, but a capacity upgrade is already on the calendar. From September 1, 2026, Starlux plans to switch the route to the larger Airbus A350-1000, a configuration that seats 350 passengers across four cabin classes. Prague is currently Starlux's only European destination, and the airline says it is the sole carrier offering a First Class product on the Taipei-Prague run.
Chief Executive Glenn Chai framed Prague as an important milestone in the airline's longer-term network development. He pointed to growing business-travel demand tied to the deepening semiconductor supply-chain relationship between Taiwan and the Czech Republic, alongside rising leisure interest, as the commercial logic behind the choice.
The Airbus A350-900 that opened the route is a long-range widebody powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines, while the A350-1000 that will take over offers a stretched fuselage and additional seating — a useful step up in capacity as Starlux ramps the frequency. The carrier's four-cabin layout, including First Class, is central to how it is positioning the Prague service.
For a carrier that only began flying in 2020 and has built its brand around a premium, design-led passenger experience, a nonstop link between its Taipei hub and Central Europe marks a notable long-haul step. With the A350-1000 upgrade and a fourth weekly frequency both due within weeks of the launch, Starlux is signalling that it expects the route to build quickly.
Sources: AeroTime. Featured image: AI-generated by AviationShop. By Elena Vargas.
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