In May and June 2024, AirAsia group airlines will extend three of their existing Taipei routes to include fifth freedom sectors to Japan, part of the group’s “focus on Taiwan as a virtual hub.”
As reported earlier, AirAsia X will add Taipei Taoyuan – Tokyo Narita leg to its existing route from Kuala Lumpur.
The fifth freedom portion of the route will be operated daily from May 31, 2024, as follows:
- D7378 / Taipei Taoyuan – Tokyo Narita / 3:50PM – 8:20PM
- D7379 / Tokyo Narita – Taipei Taoyuan / 9:35PM – 12:10AM+1
AirAsia X will use Airbus A330-300 aircraft with up to 377 seats including 12 in business and 365 in economy class on the route.
With full-service airlines from all three major alliances (EVA Air, China Airlines, Cathay Pacific, and JAL), Starlux Airlines, and several low-cost airlines including Jetstar Japan, Peach, Scoot, Tigerair Taiwan, and Thai Lion Air already serving the route, AirAsia X will face stiff competition.
There are also flights between Tokyo Haneda and Taipei Songshan.
The other two fifth-freedom flights between Taiwan and Japan will be operated by Thai AirAsia. On June 15, 2024, the airline will add a Taipei Taoyuan – Naha leg to its existing flights from Bangkok Don Muang (separately from the non-stop Don Muang – Naha route the airline will launch in April 2024), and a day later it will extend its route from Don Muang to Kaohsiung to continue to Tokyo Narita.
Between Taipei and Naha, Thai AirAsia will daily operate with the following schedule:
- FD230 / Taipei Taoyuan – Naha / 1:30PM – 3:55PM
- FD231 / Naha – Taipei Taoyuan / 4:55PM – 5:30PM
The fifth-freedom route between Kaohsiung and Narita will operate four times a week as follows:
- FD234 / Kaohsiung – Tokyo Narita / 8:00AM – 12:55PM / Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun
- FD235 / Tokyo Narita – Kaohsiung / 1:55PM – 5:05PM / Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun
Both of the routes will be operated using A320s with 180 seats.
There are already several flights a day between Taipei and Okinawa operated by EVA Air, China Airlines, Starlux, Batik Air, Tigerair, and Peach. The Kaohsiung – Narita route is already served daily by both EVA Air and China Airlines, as well as nine times a week by Tigerair.
