STARLUX Airlines will take delivery of its first A330neo B-58301 today in Toulouse, France. The aircraft will arrive at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport at 16:15 on February 19th local time. STARLUX was the first airline in Taiwan to purchase an A321neo, which was flown back to Taiwan personally by K.W. Chang, the company's chairman. STARLUX is now the first airline in Taiwan to take delivery of an A330neo.
Company chairman K.W. Chang said, "My team and I had spent much time evaluating and discussing the selection of the optimal mid-range aircraft to augment our current line A321neos and A350 XWBs, expanding the range of our fleet to full strength, covering short, mid and long range flights. The efficiency of the A330neo is outstanding by bringing together enhanced technologies and highly efficient Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines. In addition, pilots can easily acquire type rating for various aircraft that make up the Airbus family. I am delighted to welcome our first A330neo, as it marks a key milestone in our growth. With the addition of the A330neo, STARLUX can deploy our fleet more flexibly and provide our service to more passengers over regional routes."
"We are excited to work closely with STARLUX to build their new fleet," said Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer. "Together the A321neo, A330neo and A350 will enable the carrier to benefit from the unique technical commonality and efficiency offered by our latest generation aircraft. In addition, they offer the best levels of comfort in their respective size categories, which will be a key element for STARLUX in delivering its premium in-flight experience."
Ewen McDonald, Chief Customer Officer, Rolls-Royce Civil Aerospace, said: "We are proud to power STARLUX's first widebody aircraft, the Trent 7000 powered A330neo. We appreciate the trust STARLUX has placed in us and are committed to supporting them in operating this excellent aircraft, to bring sustainability, efficiency and connectivity across their network."
STARLUX intends to lease eight A330neos. The B-58301 is the first of these and will be put into service after the approval process and required crew training is completed in May. Three more will be added to the fleet this year. The A330neos will gradually fly additional routes to major cities within the Asia-Pacific region including Macau, Ho Chi Minh City, Singapore, Bangkok and Tokyo.
Powered by the latest Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines, the A330neo provides an unprecedented level of efficiency — with 12% lower fuel burn per flight than previous generation competitors — and provides significant noise reduction. STARLUX also signed a long-term TotalCare service agreement for the airline's eight Airbus A330neo aircraft with Rolls-Royce, building on the existing partnership with the jet engine manufacturer. The airline has ordered 18 Airbus A350 XWBs powered by Trent XWB engines, which are also covered by the TotalCare long-term service agreement.
STARLUX's A330neo features a spacious layout with 297 seats, including 28 in business class and 269 in economy class. The A330neo is equipped with an Airbus Airspace cabin, designed to customize and maximize all available space and provide added comfort and ambience. The overhead storage of the STARLUX A330neo is 66% larger, ensuring that passengers have enough space to stow their luggage. The state-of-the-art LED lighting can switch between different scenarios to set the right ambience throughout all phases of a flight and even reduce jetlag.
The cabin interior is once again designed by BMW Designworks to evoke the ambience of "Home in the Air". The "Pure Tea" color theme featuring natural colors, the warm fabric and leather, along with the ceiling panel with Polaris glowing gently overhead combine to create a most relaxing atmosphere.
Business class passengers will now be able to enjoy more privacy. The 1-2-1 seating layout allows every passenger to have his or her own private entrance into their seat. Luxuriously covered with a cashmere silver back shell and enlarged privacy dividers, each seat can fold down into a fully flat bed. Each passenger has a side cubby for storing personal belongings like water bottles and headphones, and a mirror is mounted on the cubby door. A reading light with three different brightness levels and wireless charger are available in every seat to provide the utmost in convenience and comfort during the flight.
STARLUX does not compromise the comfort of economy-class passengers either. The luxurious RECARO seats in the economy cabin offer ultra-thin seatbacks to increase leg room and are equipped with high-quality leather headrests. The headrest can be adjusted six ways to provide head and neck support for various postures. Passengers can slide their headrest up or down six inches while unfolding the side cushions to an angle that best suits them. Each seat has been installed a tablet holder and a cup holder to ensure that passengers do not have to worry about spilling their drinks or have to tuck cups sloppily in the seat pockets.
The A330neo inflight entertainment system has also been greatly upgraded. In business class, every seat is equipped with a 17.3-inch 4K screen, while passengers in economy class can also enjoy 4K resolution with 13.3-inch screen. Bluetooth audio connectivity is now available for passengers to use their own headphones onboard. 3D interactive "Kid's map" is added for the little passengers flying STARLUX to explore the world with their fingertips.
The STARLUX fleet is now entering the beginning of a full upgrade. Not only has the first A330neo arrived, but the delivery of eighteen A350 XWBs will also start in the third quarter this year. Through strategic deployment of its A321neos, A330neos and A350 XWBs to routes of varying distances, STARLUX will be able to extend its network with utmost efficiency and to provide convenient and luxurious service from Taiwan to more and more destinations.