Misleading article about flights between Chiang Mai and California

[CNXDPA]

The Thaiger headline reads : "STARLUX Airlines to launch LA and San Francisco to Chiang Mai flights". I saw that and said; "wow, sign me up!" But nowhere in the article does it explain that these flights involve a connection in Taipei. The article should have stated that Starlux is launching flights between Chaing Mai and Taipei, in competition with EVA, China Airlines , and Air Asia. It's great to have more choices at the Chiang Mai airport, but the suggestion of nonstop flights between Chiang Mai and North America is ludicrous.

[Pinetree]

Slightly misleading, I agree, but a ICAO 5th Freedom Right requires transit to and from the home base of a foreign airline, so the requirement would always be that the flight was via TPE.  This is just the same a Middle East airline flight between, say BKK and LHR, or any other airport, having to transit through the owning or registered country. Interestingly, (well I think so anyway) is that an EVA Air direct flight from BKK to LHR is operated under the 7th Freedom Right to pick up and drop off pax and cargo from a Second and Third State, in this case, Thailand and UK. This Right is separately negotiated as it is often in direct competition with a State Airline, such as Thai Airways. It's often a three way agreement, but BA no longer flies to BKK.