"Taiwan’s Favorite Travel Destination" — TransAsia Airways Launches Flights to Tokyo

▲ TransAsia Airways announces its new Tokyo route, with the inaugural flight to Narita on the 26th. (Photo / File photo of the inaugural Bangkok flight, provided by TransAsia Airways)

Reported by Chen Tzu-yin / Taipei

TransAsia Airways announced the launch of flights to Japan’s capital, with its inaugural service from Taipei (Taoyuan) to Tokyo (Narita) on the 26th. A celebratory press conference was held today,along with the official launch of TransAsia Airways’ WeChat account and the unveiling of eight exclusive animated stickers to mark the occasion..

TransAsia Airways Chairman Lin Ming-wei said: "Taiwanese people love traveling to Japan. On average, one out of every five people who travel abroad go to Japan, and recently, the number of Taiwanese travelers to Japan has reached 1.36 million. Among these, Tokyo has been voted the most popular city among our travelers. This new Tokyo route is also our second Japanese destination this year." Lin further explained that launching the Tokyo route is significant for TransAsia Airways in solidifying its presence in the Northeast Asia market. In the future, TransAsia’s Japanese destinations will cover the Kanto, Kansai, and Hokkaido regions, completing a more comprehensive route network.

Including Tokyo, TransAsia Airways has added a total of 10 new routes this year, 70% of which are international. With an average of one new destination launched per month, the airline continues to expand its network, showcasing its strong ambition to boost its Asian route market.

Taipei (Taoyuan) – Tokyo (Narita) will operate seven flights per week starting from its inaugural flight on September 26.

In 2012, the proportion of revenue from TransAsia Airways’ various routes were: 30% international, 35% cross-strait, and 20% domestic. The airline stated that with the continued expansion of international destinations, it expects the share of international routes to keep rising. This not only helps avoid over-concentration of capacity on specific routes, thus diversifying risks, but also supports the airline’s "fly to all major Asian cities within five years" blueprint.

In celebration of the Tokyo launch, TransAsia Airways has also partnered exclusively with Japan’s renowned travel group — Fuji-Q Highland to offer a boarding pass discount promotion: from now until December 31, 2013, anyone holding a TransAsia Airways boarding pass can enjoy a 10% discount (15% off for free passes) on entry tickets and free passes at Fuji-Q Highland, as well as 10–20% discounts on group facilities such as cable cars, sightseeing boats, hot springs, or art museums (up to 5 tickets per boarding pass).

Additionally, TransAsia Airways has launched a “Celebrate Tokyo First Flight — Giveaway 100 Free Tickets” campaign: from now until October 8, by following TransAsia Airways’ WeChat account, participants can receive one digital scratch lottery ticket during the promotional period (one per account). For every 200 followers, one economy-class ticket from Taipei (Taoyuan) to Tokyo will be given away, with a maximum of 100 tickets available (winners are responsible for related taxes such as airport tax, fuel surcharge, and prize income tax).

 
▲ Inaugural ceremony, along with the announcement of TransAsia Airways’ WeChat account and exclusive flight attendant and pilot-themed animated stickers (Photo / Reporter Hong Sheng-yi)