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American Airlines and Taiwan's Starlux Airlines have moved to deepen their commercial relationship, applying to the U.S. Transportation Department (DOT) for authority to launch a codeshare partnership.
The joint application requests blanket codeshare authority that would allow American to place its AA code on Starlux-operated flights between Taiwan and the U.S., as well as beyond Taiwan, while Starlux would be able to place its JX code on American-operated services throughout the U.S. and onward destinations. American is also seeking an amendment to its existing third-country codeshare exemption to add Starlux to the list of foreign airline partners covered by that authority.
If approved, the arrangement would mark a step beyond the interline partnership the airlines launched in August 2025. That agreement enabled passengers to book single-ticket itineraries between Starlux’s Taipei Taoyuan hub and more than 250 destinations across American's domestic network, while giving American customers easier access to Taiwan.
According to the latest DOT application, the codeshare agreement also covers operational coordination, requiring the carriers to work together on schedules to improve connecting opportunities, while providing reciprocal lounge access for eligible premium passengers through a separate agreement and integrating frequent-flyer cooperation.
Each airline will remain responsible for operating its own flights, safety oversight and maintenance, with passengers informed of the operating carrier in accordance with U.S. disclosure rules.
The application comes as Starlux continues to expand its long-haul ambitions. The Taipei-based carrier now operates a fleet of 34 Airbus aircraft comprising A321neos, A330-900s, A350-900s and three newly delivered A350-1000s. Chairman KW Chang told Aviation Week earlier this month the airline intends to grow to 76 aircraft by 2033 as it builds sufficient scale to compete with Taiwan's established full-service airlines China Airlines and EVA Air.
The carrier is also preparing to launch its first European destination, Prague, on Aug. 1, with Barcelona and Zurich planned during 2027. In North America, the carrier has identified Washington, Boston, Dallas and Chicago among potential future A350-1000 destinations as additional aircraft join the fleet.
Since launching operations in 2020, the U.S. has become one of Starlux’s most important international markets. During summer 2026, the carrier is scheduled to offer approximately 538,000 two-way seats between Taiwan and the U.S., up about 10% from summer 2025, according to OAG Schedules Analyser data.
That gives Starlux almost 17% of total capacity in the market, behind EVA Air's 50% share and China Airlines' 20.8%, while United Airlines and Delta Air Lines account for about 8.3% and 4%, respectively.
The overall U.S.-Taiwan market is scheduled to grow to about 3.17 million two-way seats during summer 2026, an increase of about 5% year on year.
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