The Seattle-Taipei Surge: Geography, Rivalry, Belly Cargo, and the Battle for Trans-Pacific Dominance
The Seattle-Taipei Surge: Geography, Rivalry, Belly Cargo, and the Battle for Trans-Pacific Dominance In early 2026, the Seattle-to-Taipei corridor stands as a compelling case study in modern aviation strategy. Four fierce competitors—EVA Air (~10x weekly), China Airlines (5x weekly), STARLUX (daily, up from 3x weekly since March 2025), and Delta (daily)—operate around 29 weekly nonstop flights, transforming what might seem an over-served route into a high-stakes arena. Far beyond Seattle's local population or tourism alone, the route thrives on Pacific Northwest geography as the shortest U.S. West Coast gateway to Asia, Taipei's role as a Southeast Asia trampoline, massive domestic feeder networks from Alaska, Delta, American, and Southwest, and extraordinarily profitable "belly cargo" like Boeing parts, Washington cherries, semiconductors, and tech hardware. Starlux's luxury disruptive entry sparked a "turf war" and price suppression, while TSMC...