Taipei: Taiwan's major international carriers capitalized on robust tourism demand in January, with China Airlines (CAL) hitting a sales milestone and rival EVA Airways (EVA Air) breaking records in passenger flight revenue.

According to Focus Taiwan, CAL posted a new monthly high of NT$19.29 billion (US$587 million) in consolidated sales in January, marking a 21.12 percent increase from the previous year. Revenue from passenger flights reached NT$12.62 billion, a 16.93 percent year-on-year rise. The first quarter, which is the peak season for the airline industry due to the winter vacation and Lunar New Year holiday, saw CAL's load factor-an industry metric for measuring the percentage of passenger capacity used-top 90 percent for most of Northeast Asia. In addition, air cargo revenue in January was NT$5.28 billion, up 30.84 percent year-on-year, driven by an increase in shipments ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday. Due to higher demand, cargo freight rates also increased. CAL has announced plans to expand its cargo services further, with a new route to Toronto launched on Feb. 7, making a transit stop in Anchorage, United States.

EVA Air reported NT$20.045 billion in consolidated sales in January, slightly below the NT$20.054 billion recorded in December. Revenue from passenger flights reached a new high of NT$13.75 billion in January, a 10.32 percent increase from a year ago. The load factor on flights to North American and European destinations approached 90 percent, driven by visits to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas and holiday travel. In the region, destinations such as Japan and South Korea saw load factors exceeding 85 percent. EVA Air plans to enhance its connectivity by launching a new route between Taoyuan and Kobe on April 18, increasing flights between Taiwan and Japan's Kansai region to 36 a week, the highest among Taiwanese carriers.

Meanwhile, Starlux Airlines, Taiwan's newest international carrier, and Tigerair Taiwan, the country's sole budget airline, also reported high sales in January, boosted by the Lunar New Year holiday. Starlux Airlines achieved NT$4.24 billion in consolidated sales, a 71 percent increase from the previous year. Revenue from passenger flights surged 70 percent year-on-year to NT$3.79 billion, while cargo revenue soared over 100 percent to NT$292 million. The carrier plans to launch two new routes-between Taipei and Kobe, and Taichung and Kobe-on April 18. Tigerair Taiwan reported NT$1.69 billion in consolidated sales in January, a 31.2 percent increase from the previous year. The airline plans to upgrade its fleet with the delivery of two A320neo planes in the second half of this year.