New Taiwanese aviation startup StarLux Airlines has cleared its first hurdle to taking flight.
The airline has been granted a permit by the ministry of transportation and communications.
It now needs to go through a lengthy series of reviews by the civil aeronautics administration before being granted an air operator certificate.
StarLux says it expects to receive that in 2019 and plans to officially launch flights in 2020.
StarLux was founded by ousted former EVA Airways chairman Chang Kuo-wei.
It has intimated the first routes will be focused on Northeast and Southeast Asia, before spreading its wings to long haul international routes like the US.
To establish a new airline venture in Taiwan, companies must have a minimum of three planes and at least $200 million in funding.
