For airlines, a younger fleet means fuel efficiency and lower operating costs due to less maintenance, lower CO2 emissions and increased reliability. On the other hand, passengers enjoy a better flying experience as newer planes have more modern cabins, technology and comfort. Then it is also interesting to see what kind of airline has the youngest fleet in the world.
That’s why we’ll take an in-depth look at Taiwanese airline STARLUX, the airline with the world’s youngest fleet. When thinking of Taiwan and aviation, most people will probably immediately think of eva air and/or China AirlinesHowever, in 2020, a third player entered the Taiwanese aviation market: STARlux Airlines, And although the airline is only a few years old, it has already proven itself to be one of the best and most successful airlines in the world,
A look at the world’s youngest airline fleet
According to CH-Aviation’s Youngest Aircraft Fleet Award 2025, Taiwanese airline Starlux Airlines has the youngest fleet in the world with an average age of 3.2 years. At the time of writing, the airline’s fleet consists of 28 airbus The order for another 40 aircraft is still ongoing. The first aircraft to be delivered to the fleet, and thus the airline’s oldest, was the A321neo (B-58201), which was delivered from the Airbus factory in Hamburg on October 29, 2019. It was not until January 23, 2020, that the aircraft operated its first commercial flight.
Today, the airline’s A321neo fleet consists of 13 aircraft and six more are on order. The average age of these aircraft is 4.2 years, with the oldest (B-58201) being 6.1 years old (B-58213) and the newest being three years old. The STARlux A321neo has 188 seats divided between business class (eight seats) and economy class (188 seats). In addition to the A321neo, the airline also operates a wide fleet, including five Airbus A330-900neo and ten Airbus A350-900. Starlux Airlines’ A330-900neos have an average age of 3.2 years and seat 297 passengers across 28 seats in business class and 269 seats in economy. The oldest aircraft in the fleet (B-58301) is 4.1 years old, and the newest (B-58305) is 1.5 years old.
In addition, six new A330-900neo are expected to join the fleet soon. Last, but not least, is the airline’s Airbus A350-900 fleet, which has an average age of just 1.8 years. These aircraft are primarily used on the airline’s long-haul routes and seat 306 passengers in four cabin classes: four in first, 40 in business, 36 in premium economy and 270 in economy. The oldest A350-900 (B-58501) is 3.2 years old, while the newest (B-58510) was only delivered in April 2025 and is thus only a few months or 0.7 years old to be precise.
The table below is an overview of Starlux Airlines’ fleet, per CH-Aviation at the time of writing:
type of aircraft | number in fleet | number on order | average age | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
airbus a321neo | 13 | 6 | 4.3 years | 188 (8 Business; 188 Economy) |
airbus a330-900neo | 5 | 6 | 3.2 years | 297 (28 business; 269 economy) |
airbus a350-1000 | 18 | 350 (4 First; 40 Business; 36 Premium Economy; 270 Economy) | ||
airbus a350-900 | 10 | 1.8 years | 306 (4 First; 26 Business; 36 Premium Economy; 306 Economy) | |
airbus a350f | 10 | 111 tonnes (30 standard pallets; 40 lower-deck LD3 containers) |
In addition to the previously reported orders for the A321neo and A330-900neo, STARlux Airlines also placed an order for 18 large A350-1000 aircraft and ten A350 freighter aircraft. In June 2025, when STARlux expanded its existing A350 order, the airline’s CEO, Glenn Chai, said the following regarding the aircraft decision:
“This aircraft offers efficiency, range and comfort, making it a perfect fit for our strategy to optimize long-haul operations while delivering an exceptional passenger experience. As we continue to strengthen our international network, the A350-1000 will play a vital role in driving growth, sustainability and operational flexibility.”
However, it is not all positive and in June 2025, Chai also told Bloomberg that the airline was affected by Airbus delivery delays and that fewer aircraft would be delivered. Due to these delays, the airline expects to take delivery of only five aircraft by the end of 2025, which is four fewer than the nine aircraft expected at the beginning of the year. According to Chai, this means that planned capacity growth for 2025 will not exceed 20-30%, whereas the airline had planned a capacity increase of 50%. These delays are not exclusive to STARlux Airlines, and Airbus expects delays to last for the next three years. The main reason for delivery delays at Airbus is supply chain problems with some key structural parts as well as engines.
Airbus continues to participate in the Paris Air Show with an order for 10 Airbus A350-1000 Widebodies from the 5-star airline
Taiwanese carrier STARlux Airlines has confirmed a firm order for additional A350-1000s.
Story of Starlux Airlines
Starlux Airlines was founded in 2018 by Chang Kuo-Wei, former chairman of EVA Air. However, as mentioned earlier the airline will not operate its first commercial flight until early 2020. The reason Chang Kuo-Wei started Starlux Airlines was his dissatisfaction with being removed as chairman of Evergreen Group-owned EVA Air after the death of the company’s founder and Chang Kuo-Wei’s father.
The airline positions itself as a “boutique carrier” that focuses on luxury, comfort and service. Although STARlux is only a few years old, it is already considered one of the best airlines in the world. In June 2025, renowned airline rating agency Skytrax certified the airline with a five-star rating based on a comprehensive audit of both the airport and onboard experience. In addition to the 5-star recognition, the airline also received the World’s Best Airline award. In addition to the 5-star recognition by Skytrax, Starlux also received the Apex Five-Star Global Airline designation for 2025 and 2026. This award is based entirely on neutral, third-party feedback and is reserved for airlines that truly excel at providing a great passenger experience.
“We are pleased to see Starlux Airlines achieving the highest 5-star airline rating in 2025, which is a fantastic achievement. A key determinant in awarding Starlux Airlines this 5-star airline status is the high level of quality consistency provided to customers in First, Premium Economy, Business and Economy class with excellent onboard product, coupled with very efficient and honest staff service.”
– Glen Tea –
The results are in: Qatar Airways wins Skytrax World’s Best Airline award
The Skytrax World Airline Awards have been running since 1999 and are one of the most recognized honors in the industry.
Starlux Airlines Route Network Overview
The Starlux Airlines route network currently covers 33 routes to 29 destinations in Asia and North America. The airline operates most of these routes from its hub at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE), the country’s busiest airport, primarily serving Taipei. Most of Starlux Airlines’ routes connect Taoyuan International Airport to Asia-Pacific. In addition, the airline operates several long-haul routes to US West Coast destinations including Seattle (SEA), San Francisco (SFO), Los Angeles (LAX), and Ontario (ONT). The latter route, which may be a surprise to some, complements the airline’s Los Angeles operations, serving the large Asian diaspora in the Ontario region.
In addition to the airline’s hub in Taipei, Starlux also operates a smaller secondary hub at Taichung International Airport (RMQ) in the country’s second-largest city. From Taichung, Starlux’s route network focuses primarily on leisure destinations such as Phu Quoc (PQC) and Da Nang (DAD) in Vietnam or Macau (MFM) in China. The airline’s long-haul network includes some US destinations served from Taoyuan International Airport. Next year, STARlux also plans to open another secondary base at Kaohsiung International Airport (KHH), marking a significant expansion in southern Taiwan.
Over the next few years, Starlux Airlines expects to continue growing its network. In early 2026, the airline will also launch flights between Taipei and Phoenix (PHX), operating three to four flights a week using its Airbus A350-900 fleet. Additionally, the airline is eyeing flights to destinations like New York, Washington, Chicago, Dallas and Houston. To complement its growing US network, the airline is also investing heavily in strategic partnerships with other airlines. In August this year, Starlux signed an interline agreement with American Airlines, improving connectivity between Asia and the US via Los Angeles and soon Phoenix. Shortly thereafter, the airline also announced the expansion of its existing codeshare agreement with Alaska Airlines with 12 new destinations via Seattle and San Francisco. Furthermore, it is also expected that Starlux will soon announce the first routes to Europe, as the airline has recently received the necessary permission to launch flights to Helsinki (HEL) in Finland. Apart from Helsinki, the Czech capital Prague is often named as a possible destination.
What US travelers can experience on the new Starlux Airbus A350 route to Ontario
The carrier will soon be the Southern California airport’s newest operator.
5 airlines with the youngest fleet
Apart from Starlux, other airlines such as KM Malta Airlines, flydeal, flynas and Arajet also received recognition for their young fleets at the CH-Aviation World’s Youngest Aircraft Fleet Awards 2025. At the time of the awards, second place was claimed by the Maltese airline, KM Malta Airlines, which today has an average fleet age of 4.2 years and operates eight Airbus A320 family aircraft. KM Malta Airlines is the predecessor of bankrupt Air Malta, which had been struggling financially for some years and was not allowed to receive much state aid to remain in compliance with EU regulations.
In third and fourth place are Saudi Arabia’s low-cost airlines flydeal and flynas, with average fleet ages of 4.8 and 5.2 years. Flydeal was founded in 2016 by flag carrier Saudia and operated its first commercial flight in 2017. Since then, the airline has expanded its fleet to an all-Airbus fleet of 41 A320 family aircraft and is also expecting the delivery of ten A330-900neo aircraft. The other Saudi Arabian airline on the list, Flynas, was founded in 2007 as NAS Air and was one of the first Saudi Arabian airlines other than Saudi Arabia. It was not until 2013 that the airline’s name was changed to Flynas. Today, the airline operates an all-Airbus fleet consisting of 65 aircraft including both narrowbody and widebody.
Location Youngest Aircraft Fleet Award 2025 | airline | Country | first flight of the year | fleet size | average age* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Starlux Airlines | taiwan | 2020 | 28 | 3.2 years |
2. | KM Malta Airlines | malta | 2024 | 8 | 4.2 years |
3. | flydeal | saudi arabia | 2017 | 41 | 4.8 years |
4. | flinus | saudi arabia | 2007 | 65 | 5.2 years |
5. | Arajet | Dominican Republic | 2022 | 12 | 4.1 years |
*Ranking is based on CH-Aviation World’s Youngest Aircraft Fleet Award 2025. However, the average age is up to date as of writing with data from PlaneSpotter.net.
Last but not least is the flag carrier and largest airline of the Dominican Republic, Arajet. The airline secured 5th position in the World’s Youngest Fleet Awards 2025. However, in the latest data, it moved up to second place with an average fleet age of 4.1 years. Although Arajet was founded in 2014 as Dominican Wings, its first commercial flight as Arajet was not until December 15, 2022. Today the airline operates an all-Boeing fleet consisting of 12 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft and 25 more on order.
