Taipei: Tigerair Taiwan, the only budget airline in Taiwan, will begin offering regular flights to Oita in northeastern Kyushu on April 2, marking the carrier's 21st destination in Japan. With two round-trip flights a week, Oita will become Tigerair Taiwan's fourth destination in the island of Kyushu after Fukuoka, Saga, and Miyazaki.

According to Focus Taiwan, Tigerair Taiwan, a subsidiary of Taiwanese international carrier China Airlines, said the new route to Oita is expected to broaden the airline's network in Kyushu and give Taiwanese travelers more flexibility when planning trips to the island. Starting from April 2, Tigerair Taiwan will operate flight IT750 from Taoyuan to Oita every Wednesday and Saturday at noon, with a return flight IT751 from Oita to Taoyuan on the same days, arriving in Taiwan at 5:55 p.m.

An Airbus 320 will be employed for the new route, as Tigerair Taiwan aims to capitalize on Oita's natural beauty and the sustained interest of Taiwanese travelers in Japan. The carrier noted that Oita is renowned for its hot springs, and other attractions include Lake Kinrin, the Takasakiyama Natural Zoological Garden, the Kyushu Natural Zoological Park, and the 390-meter long, 173-meter high Kokonoe Yume Grand Suspension Bridge, the highest suspension bridge in Japan.

Japan remains the top destination for Taiwanese travelers. In 2024, approximately 6.006 million Taiwanese travelers visited Japan, the most to any foreign destination, followed by 2.77 million to China and 1.43 million to South Korea, according to data compiled by the Tourism Administration.