STARLUX Airlines expands its long-haul fleet with the arrival of Taiwan’s first Airbus A350-1000
January 6, 2026
STARLUX Airlines of Taiwan has become the latest carrier to take delivery of an Airbus A350-1000, the longest variant of the widebody twinjet. The delivery makes STARLUX the first Taiwanese airline to operate the aircraft type.
The newest aircraft to join the carrier’s fleet was officially handed over at Airbus’s Toulouse headquarters on the morning of 5 January. It subsequently flew direct from Toulouse to Taipei and was met upon its arrival at Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) the following morning at around 10:30 local time with a ceremonial water salute.
According to the airline, the aircraft was flown to its new base by STARLUX Chairman K.W. Chang, a qualified pilot, at the controls.
STARLUX’s first Airbus A350 arrives in Taiwan
The arrival of its first A350-1000 (with registration B-58551) sees the carrier inaugurate the type into its fleet for the first time. STARLUX already operates ten of the shorter A350-900 in its fleet, each seating 306 passengers in a four-class configuration.
The newest variant sees an uptick in that number, accommodating 350 passengers also in four classes (four first class, 40 in business class, 36 in premium economy and 270 in economy).
STARLUX originally ordered 12 A350-1000s and five A305-900s in July 2018. However, this order was later reconfigured to reduce its commitment of the A350-1000 to eight units while the A350-900 order was increased to ten planes, all of which have now been delivered.
Subsequently, STARLUX placed a new order at the Paris Air Show 2025 for an additional ten A350-1000s with deliveries due to commence in 2031, bringing its total commitment for the larger variant to 18 aircraft. Another two of the original order for eight planes are due for delivery to the airline in 2026.
“The delivery of our first A350-1000 marks the beginning of a new era in STARLUX’s long-haul capabilities,” said STARLUX CEO Glenn Chai.
“With extended range compared to the A350-900, this aircraft can reach the US East Coast while delivering exceptional fuel efficiency and superior passenger comfort, allowing us to extend our signature service from Taipei to even more destinations across North America and Europe.”
With a new aircraft comes a new livery for STARLUX
The latest arrival, B-58551, heralds the start of a revised look for the airline. While largely incorporating the airline’s existing white, gold, and grey livery, the revised colour scheme takes its inspiration from the aircraft’s extensive use of advanced composite materials and even sports a special carbon fibre motif throughout its application.
According to Airbus, over 50% of the airframe is built from carbon-fibre-reinforced composites.
Additionally, a bold “1000” decal adorns the aircraft’s rear fuselage, underscoring the aircraft’s status as the largest member of the A350 family and STARLUX’s new long-haul flagship.
The A350-1000 offers STARLUX new capabilities
“STARLUX has built an impressive long-haul vision with an all-Airbus fleet, and the A350-1000 Long Range Leader now takes that strategy to new heights with superior range, efficiency, and cabin comfort,” added President of Airbus Asia-Pacific Anand Stanley.
“Airbus is proud to celebrate this milestone delivery of STARLUX’s first A350-1000 as the airline expands its transcontinental network and brings a new standard of premium travel from Taiwan to the world.”
Offering a range of up to 9,700 miles (15,600 km) and powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce XWB turbofans, the A350-1000 has been earmarked to play a key role in the airline’s expansion into North American and European markets in 2026. The airline said that the new A350-1000 will initially operate on routes within Asia to “build operational experience.”
However, STARLUX is widely expected to announce a range of new routes to Europe and the US East Coast to be added to its network in the second half of 2026 once experience with the variant has been acquired.
STARLUX expands its exclusive commitment to Airbus
STARLUX already operates an all-Airbus fleet, including the A321neo (13), A330-900 (six) and the A350-900 (ten). The A350-1000 was selected by the carrier to seamlessly complement its long-haul operations and provide commonality with the smaller A350-900 for crews and engineering staff at the airline.
Additionally, the airline has 10 A350F freighters on order as part of its future cargo expansion strategy.
As of late November 2025, the A350 programme had secured close to 1,500 orders from 66 customers worldwide, underscoring its strong position in the long-haul market.
While STARLUX’s Taiwanese competitors EVA Air and China Airlines have both ordered the A350-1000 in large numbers, neither has yet taken delivery of the type, with STARLUX’s early commitment to the type in 2018 now paying dividends.
Featured image: STARLUX
