TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – A Starlux Airlines flight from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport was the first flight from overseas to arrive in the Japanese city of Kobe, reports said Friday.

The airport in the Kansai region launched international flights in the hope of benefiting from visitors to Expo 2025 in nearby Osaka from April 13 to Oct. 13. While the flight from Taoyuan was the first to arrive, Starlux also launched a service between Taichung and Kobe on Friday.

The ceremony in Taichung was attended by Civil Aeronautics Administration Director General Ho Shu-ping (何淑萍) and by lawmakers and city government officials, the Liberty Times reported. Starlux executives said the service offered residents of central Taiwan a new holiday destination.

The airline also announced it was the first to sign a memorandum of cooperation with Cosmo Oil Marketing Co., Ltd. to use locally produced sustainable aviation fuel. Starlux's newer aircraft already use up to 5% sustainable fuels.

Starlux is scheduling three flights a week from Taoyuan and seven from Taichung. EVA Air also launched a service to Kobe on Friday, with four flights per week between Taoyuan and Kobe between April 18-27, with a change to two per week afterward.