-Ready to Open Markets Across the Pacific Ocean
STARLUX Airlines (SJX) took delivery of its first A350-900 today at Airbus 
Headquarters in Toulouse, France. The delivery ceremony was led by STARLUX 
Airlines Chairman K.W. Chang and CEO Glenn Chai, who were both excited to mark 
the new milestone.

Chang arrived in Toulouse to participate in the delivery process, and to 
personally fly this new A350-900 back to Taiwan. The aircraft is expected to 
arrive at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport at 15:00 on October 29 local 
time.

"This delivery is a milestone for STARLUX Airlines. The A350-900 is our first 
large widebody aircraft, which will allow STARLUX to open markets for longer 
routes, and this also marks the next step in our partnership with Airbus, with 
17 more A350s deliveries in the future. With the addition of the A350-900, the 
STARLUX fleet now can cover short, mid, and long range flights, providing 
service to passengers outside Asia," said STARLUX Chairman.

Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Airbus 
International said: "With an all-new generation, all-Airbus fleet, STARLUX is 
bringing new levels of comfort and efficiency to the premium market. As the 
flagship aircraft in this fleet, the A350-900 will carry the airline's brand on 
its longest routes as it opens up to new markets. We wish the airline every 
success as it spreads its wings to more destinations across the world."

Ewen McDonald, Chief Customer Officer, Rolls-Royce Civil Aerospace, said: "We 
would like to congratulate STARLUX on taking delivery of their first A350 
passenger aircraft, which is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-84 engines. This 
delivery builds on our partnership with STARLUX who earlier this year took 
delivery of their first A330neo, which is also powered by our Trent 7000 
engines. We look forward to further supporting STARLUX to maximize their fleet 
performance and achieve operational excellence. We thank STARLUX for their 
trust in Rolls-Royce, and we will continue our commitment to providing reliable 
power and world-class service to help STARLUX fly higher and further."

The delivery of B-58501 is the first of the eighteen A350s STARLUX has ordered 
and is planned to be put into service in January next year after the approval 
process and required crew training. There will be another A350-900 added to the 
fleet this year. The A350-900 will initially fly to major cities within the 
Asia-Pacific region and start operations to Los Angeles in April 2023.

The A350-900 is powered by twin Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines, which are the 
largest of Rolls-Royce's renowned Trent family and the most efficient large 
aero engine flying today. The engine is designed and optimized specially for 
the Airbus A350 family, contributing to the A350's 25% fuel burn improvement 
and helping reduce the aircraft's overall noise footprint. As with the current 
fleet of A330neos, STARLUX has also signed a long-term TotalCare service 
agreement for all A350 aircraft with Rolls-Royce engines, further strengthening 
the airline's partnership with the jet engine manufacturer.

STARLUX's A350 is the first A350 to offer First Class around the world. It is 
made from approximately 70% advanced materials such as carbon fiber and has the 
lowest CO2 emissions in its class, and also the first aircraft in the 
Asia-Pacific region to integrate the latest evolutions, which comprise 
improvements to the performance and also to its Airspace cabin. Compared with 
other A350s in service today, the new A350-900 for STARLUX has a cabin which is 
wider by 4 inches and longer by 35 inches, which gives more room for passengers 
in all classes, and also larger galleys for the cabin crew.

The aircraft also features the very latest electrical dimmable windows, 
blocking 99.99% of visible light, switching twice the speed of the previous 
generation. STARLUX's aircraft is the very first A350 to put these new windows 
into service. Moreover, STARLUX is also the first airline to install dynamic 
secant luminous panels on an A350. Three motion panels located at two doorways 
and the very end of Business Class, demonstrating different shapes of ceramics 
with leaves gradually growing out to make passengers feel at home. As the 
A350-900 will operate long-range routes, STARLUX's cabins can be customized 
with ambient lighting depending on the stage of the flight. There are also 
three seasonal themes to choose from: Lunar New Year, White Christmas, and Moon 
Festival.

The premium four-class layout features four seats in First Class, 26 in 
Business Class, 36 in Premium Economy Class and 240 in Economy Class. STARLUX 
is the first airline in Taiwan to offer First Class. First Class suites are 
built with a 60-inch door wall, allowing the passengers to have a personal 
suite on the aircraft. A personal wardrobe is provided to store luggage. 
Business Class seats feature a 48-inch door and a cozy lamp to provide warmth. 
Seats in both First and Business Class can convert into a fully lie-flat bed, 
and also come with a "zero gravity" feature to offer extra comfort and 
relaxation. Premium Economy Class seats have been specially designed with a leg 
rest and footrest bar. To prevent the leg numbness in Economy Class, the 
thickness of each seat has been reduced, and redesigned with a unique S-shape 
to provide more legroom.

The A350 inflight entertainment has been elevated to a new level. For First 
Class, each seat is equipped with a 32-inch 4K screen, while Business Class can 
enjoy our 4K resolution with a 24-inch screen. Even Premium Economy Class and 
Economy Class passengers can also enjoy 4K resolution with a 15.6-inch screen 
or a 13-inch screen respectively. Furthermore, all passengers on the A350-900 
can use Bluetooth to connect to their own headphones.

To commemorate STARLUX's first A350-900 delivery, as well as the union of three 
Airbus flight models into its fleet, STARLUX cooperated with Airbus and the 
professional production team Master Films to take Airbus test flights as an 
opportunity to shoot an air-to-air video of all three models in flight. STARLUX 
is also the only airline in recent years to complete a formation flight, 
featuring all three of its Airbus types: A321neo, A330neo and A350. The 
arrangement process was intricate, taking almost a year to finalize the 
shooting details. STARLUX, Airbus and Master Films discussed extensively 
regarding the concepts of the video, including the formations of the airplanes, 
the shot angles, and the flight path. To perfectly execute the unprecedented 
mission, Airbus assigned its most experienced pilots to fly the airplanes. The 
air-to-air filming does not only promote STARLUX, but also to promote the love 
of aviation itself, setting a new standard for air-to-air filmography.

STARLUX has entered a new phase with the delivery of the new A350-900. With the 
addition of another A321neo - B58211 scheduled to be delivered tomorrow, 
STARLUX will have eleven A321neos, four A330neos, and one A350-900. By the end 
of the year there will be another delivery of two A321neos and an additional 
A350-900, which will increase the capacity for STARLUX as the company prepares 
to begin service to markets outside Asia. With the reopening of Taiwan's border 
and as more aircrafts are ready to be delivered, STARLUX will be able to 
provide luxurious service to more passengers and to extend the network with 
utmost efficiency.

SOURCE: STARLUX Airlines


Image Attachments Links:

   Link: https://iop.asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=432645

   Caption: To commemorate STARLUX’s first A350-900 delivery, as well as the 
union of three Airbus flight models: A321neo, A330neo and A350-900 into its 
fleet, STARLUX cooperated with Airbus and the professional production team 
Master Films to take Airbus test flights as an opportunity to shoot an 
air-to-air video of all three models in flight.

   Link: https://iop.asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=432647

   Caption: STARLUX First A350-900 delivered today