Phoenix lands its first-ever nonstop route to Asia on luxe startup Starlux

Phoenix, or "Silicon Desert" as some in the tech industry have branded it, just landed its first nonstop flight to Asia on an airline that may come as a surprise.

Starlux Airlines, Taiwan's "luxury airline," plans to connect Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) with Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) in Taipei, Taiwan, beginning in early 2026, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego announced Tuesday.

While details are limited until Starlux secures the necessary regulatory approval, the airline plans to offer three or four weekly flights on board one of its luxurious Airbus A350-900 planes to Phoenix.

"I knew from the moment I set foot in Phoenix that STARLUX should make the investment to fly here," said K.W. Chang, the chairman of Starlux, in a statement. "Not only is the growth of business between Taipei and Phoenix staggering, it's a perfect match for our level of service."

Starlux will offer Phoenix's first nonstop flight to Asia, and join the handful of foreign intercontinental carriers at the airport. Air France connects the city with Paris and British Airways flies to London; American Airlines also flies between Phoenix and London.

In fact, Phoenix has not had a direct flight to Asia since America West Airlines offered one-stop service to Nagoya in Japan via Honolulu in 1991 and 1992. (America West merged with US Airways in 2005, and US Airways with American in 2013).

You may be asking: Why Phoenix? Of all the potential U.S. destinations for Starlux, the Arizona capital does not necessarily rise to the top of the list.

The airline currently serves Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), and flights to Southern California's Ontario International Airport (ONT) begin June 2.

Phoenix, however, makes a lot of sense. First, Starlux faces no competition on the route. The lack of competition could give the airline an edge in carrying both Taiwan- and Asia-bound Phoenicians on its flights over other airlines' connecting options.

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Maybe more importantly, Phoenix is an emerging tech hub for the semiconductor industry — hence the Silicon Desert nickname. Manufacturer Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., which makes chips for Apple, Nvidia and other companies, is investing more than $65 billion in new Phoenix production facilities.

TSMC executives and staff members surely need to fly back and forth from Taipei somehow.

In addition to the likely travel demand, Starlux will benefit from up to $4 million in financial incentives from the Phoenix airport. The funds are available for marketing support and fee waivers for the first two years of a new route with no existing service from Asia.

Those are all good reasons for the airline to at least try Taipei-Phoenix flights.

Travelers can use Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles or Capital One miles to book Starlux's new Phoenix flights when sales begin.

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