EVA Air

EVA Air
長榮航空

IATA ICAO Callsign BR EVA EVA
Founded	8 March 1989 (1989-03-08)
Commenced operations	1 July 1991 (1991-07-01)
Hubs	Taipei-Taoyuan
Focus cities	Kaohsiung Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi
Frequent-flyer program	Infinity MileageLands
Alliance	Star Alliance[1][2]
Subsidiaries	UNI Air
Fleet size	75 (June 2017)[3]
Destinations	77 (incl. cargo)
Company slogan	分享世界，比翼雙飛 (traditional Chinese) Sharing the World, Flying Together (English)
Parent company	Evergreen Group
Headquarters	376, Hsin-Nan Rd., Sec. 1, Luzhu, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
Key people	Chang Yung-fa (Founder) Lin Pang Sui(Steven) (Chairman) Cheng Chuan-yi (President)
Employees	9,247 (5 August 2016)[4]
Website	www.evaair.com

EVA Air Corporation (pronounced "E-V-A Air"; Chinese: 長榮航空; pinyin: Chángróng Hángkōng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tióng-êng Hâng-khong) (TWSE: 2618) is a Taiwanese international airline based at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport near Taipei, Taiwan, operating passenger and dedicated cargo services to over 40 international destinations in Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America.^[5] EVA Air is largely privately owned and flies a fully international route network.^[6][7] It is a 5-star airline, rated by Skytrax. It is the second largest Taiwanese airline.^[7] EVA Air is headquartered in Luzhu, Taoyuan City, Taiwan.

Since its founding in 1989 as an affiliate of shipping conglomerate Evergreen Group,^[8] EVA Air has expanded to include air cargo, airline catering, ground handling, and aviation engineering services.^[6] Its cargo arm, EVA Air Cargo, links with the Evergreen worldwide shipping network on sea and land.^[7] Its domestic and regional subsidiary, UNI Air, operates a medium and short-haul network to destinations in Taiwan, Macau and China with its main hub in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.^[7] As of January 2016, EVA Air is the 6th safest airline in the world, with no hull losses, accidents, or fatalities since its establishment.

EVA Air operates a mixed fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft, with Airbus A330, Boeing 747, Airbus A321, and Boeing 777 airliners primarily used on passenger routes, along with Boeing 747-400 and Boeing 777 freighter aircraft used on cargo routes.^[7] The airline was one of the first carriers to introduce the Premium Economy class (called Elite Class in EVA Air), which it debuted in 1991.^[7] Elite Class is onboard Boeing 777 and selected Boeing 747 aircraft.

History

Launch

In September 1988, during the 20th anniversary celebration of Evergreen Marine Corporation's founding, company chairman Chang Yung-fa announced his company's intentions to establish Taiwan's first private international airline.^[7] The opportunity to create a major Taiwanese airline had just arisen following a decision by the Taiwanese government to liberalise the country's air transportation system.^[7][8] Government requirements still mandated global experience and financial capital requirements for any company seeking permission to initiate international airline service from Taiwan.^[9]

Upon receipt of regulatory approval, EVA Airways Corporation was formally established in March 1989.^[9] The airline was originally to be called Evergreen Airways,^[10] however this was deemed too similar to the unrelated Evergreen International cargo airline.^[11] In October 1989, the newly formed EVA Airways Corporation placed a US$3.6 billion order for 26 aircraft from Boeing and McDonnell Douglas, including Boeing 747-400 and MD-11 airliners.^[10]

Operations began on 1 July 1991 with a small fleet of EVA Air Boeing 767-300ER aircraft featuring business and economy class seating.^[11][12] Initial destinations from Taipei were Bangkok, Seoul, Jakarta, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur.^[11] By the end of the year, the EVA Air network had expanded to include additional cities in East Asia and its first European destination, Vienna.^[11] First year revenues reached US$40 million.^[11]

Expansion in the 1990s

In 1992, EVA Air received the first of its Boeing 747-400 aircraft on order, and launched its premium economy class, "Economy Deluxe", on its 747 transpacific flights to Los Angeles, beginning in December of that year.^[7][11] EVA Air's premium economy cabin, one of the first in the airline industry,^[11] featured a wider 2-4-2 abreast configuration,^[7] legrests, individual seatback video, and enhanced meal services. EVA Air's Economy Deluxe cabin (later renamed "Evergreen Deluxe" and "Elite Class") proved popular with the traveling public.^[7][13] For international services, EVA Air's 747s were configured with 104 premium economy seats as part of a 370-seat, four-class cabin, in addition to first, business and economy classes.^[11] In 1993, EVA Air added flights to Seattle, New York, Bangkok and Vienna with the Boeing 747-400.^[7]

By 1994, EVA Air was providing regular service to 22 destinations worldwide, and carrying over 3 million passengers annually.^[11] In 1995, the airline posted its first profit on revenues of US$1.05 billion, one year ahead of schedule.^[7][8][11] Internationally, EVA Air's rapid expansion and increased passenger volume was boosted by its safety record, in contrast to its primary competitor, China Airlines.^[7][14] In addition to receiving IOSA (IATA Operational Safety Audit) certification,^[15] EVA Air in 1997 achieved simultaneous official ISO 9002 certification in the areas of Passenger, Cargo, and Maintenance Services.^[16]

Dedicated EVA Air Cargo operations began in April 1995, with the first weekly McDonnell Douglas MD-11 freighter flights to Taipei, Singapore, Penang, San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles.^[7] EVA Air Cargo's fleet was expanded to five freighters by the end of the year.^[7] Previously, EVA Air Cargo operations mainly relied on passenger aircraft cargo space.

In the mid–1990s, EVA Air expanded into the domestic Taiwan market by acquiring shares in Makung International Airlines, followed by Great China Airlines and Taiwan Airways. On 1 July 1998, all three carriers, as well as EVA's existing domestic operations, merged under the UNI Air title.^[7] UNI Air became EVA Air's domestic intra-Taiwanese subsidiary, operating short haul flights out of its base in Kaohsiung,^[7] Taiwan's southern port and second-largest city.

Maturation in the early 2000s

In 2000, EVA Air embarked on its first major long-haul fleet renewal. The airline became one of the launch customers for the Boeing 777-300ER, ordering four aircraft plus eight options.^[7] At the same time, the airline placed three orders for the Boeing 777-200LR. In January 2001, EVA Air ordered its first Airbus aircraft, the A330-200. The Boeing 777 aircraft were intended for United States and European services, while the Airbus A330 aircraft were intended for regional Asian routes.^[7]

In 2001, EVA Air began listing public stock offerings on the Taiwan Stock Exchange.^[11] Initially, one percent of the company's shares was offered over-the-counter, with one-quarter held by parent company Evergreen Marine Corporation and EVA Air employees, respectively.^[7] In 2002, EVA Air underwent internal corporate reforms, with staff reductions and streamlined management.^[7] This culminated a process which had begun in 1997, when the Asian financial crisis began affecting profitability.^[7] The 2002–2003 SARS contagion also affected passenger traffic for medium-haul flights in Southeast Asia, while long-haul flights to North America, Japan, and Europe were less affected.^[7]

In 2004, EVA Air converted its remaining eight options for Boeing 777-300ERs into firm orders.^[17] The first Boeing 777-300ER entered service as EVA Air's new flagship aircraft in July 2005. With the arrival of its new Boeing 777s, EVA Air launched a comprehensive revamp of its cabins, introducing lie-flat seats in its new Premium Laurel business class cabin, and upgrading its premium economy product to the new Elite Class cabin.^[18] The airline's A330s were introduced with two-class Premium Laurel and Economy cabins. In December 2005, EVA Air and its associated divisions had 5,098 employees, and the airline's network spanned 40 passenger destinations worldwide, with additional cargo destinations.^[6]

Repositioning in the late 2000s

In 2007, EVA Air announced a nonstop Taipei to New York (John F. Kennedy International Airport) service, to be operated with its new long-range Boeing 777-300ERs.^[19] At the same time, the airline withdrew passenger service from Taipei to Paris.^[20] On 31 October 2008, EVA Air announced a resumption of Taipei to Paris service with twice-weekly passenger flights beginning 21 January 2009.^[21] In 2008, the airline also announced the suspension of services to Auckland.^[22] The carrier also prepared to increase direct flights to China,^[23] after initiating weekly charter flights in July 2008 following changes to the Three Links travel agreements.

For the 2007–2008 period, EVA Air coped with a 34% surge in fuel prices, which contributed to a US$61.2 million 2007 loss.^[24] In August 2008, EVA Air reported a second quarterly loss due to increased fuel costs.^[25] In response, the airline implemented cost-saving measures, including flight schedule reductions and fee increases.^[23] In early 2008, EVA Air's business office in El Segundo, California, announced a major staff reduction, with over half the staff advised that they would no longer be employed by May 2008.^[26] Functions performed by those local staff were shifted to Taiwan by half, such as the reservation center.

EVA Air carried 6.2 million passengers in 2007,^[24] and employed 4,800 staff members as of April 2008.^[24] The carrier returned to profitability in the first quarter of 2009, with a US$5.9 million net gain.^[27] In August 2010, EVA Air was named one of the top 10 international airlines in Travel+Leisure's World's Best Awards.^[28]

Further Expansion in the early 2010s

In 2010, EVA Air released a newsflash about their service to Toronto, which began on 29 March 2010. In November 2010, EVA Air began nonstop flights connecting the inner-city Taipei Songshan and Tokyo Haneda airports.^[29] In 2010, Chang Kuo-wei, son of Chang Yung-fa, returned to serve as EVA Air's president, and the carrier recorded increased sales and yearly profits.^[30] In early 2011, the carrier announced that it had applied for airline alliance membership with Star Alliance,^[31] and later that year clarified that it was in talks to join either Oneworld or Star Alliance by 2013.^[32] In June 2011, the carrier began nonstop flights from Taipei to Guam,^[33] and in October 2011 the carrier announced nonstop service from New York (JFK) to Taipei.^[34]

On 27 March 2012, EVA Air announced that it would join Star Alliance in 2013.^[1] On 24 September 2012 EVA Air signed a partnership with Amadeus IT Group Altéa suite for its Altéa Revenue Management system.

On 18 June 2013, EVA Air became a full member of Star Alliance.

In October 2014, EVA AIR announced to expand its North American network by adding new routes to Houston in 2015 and Chicago in 2016, along with expanding 55 flights per week to 63 flights per week to North America. The Houston route launch will be complemented by the introduction of the seventh and last Hello Kitty jet, Kikilala-themed "Shining Star" Boeing 777-300ER.^[35]

In October 2015, EVA AIR announced its intent to purchase up to 24 Boeing 787 Dreamliners and two additional 777-300ER (Extended Range) jetliners from Boeing. EVA Airways will join the 787-10 launch customer team.^[36]

Recent developments

In November 2015, Eva Air unveiled a new livery on their 22nd 777 along with new boarding music and improved service on board.

In January 2016, Evergreen Group chairman Chang Yung-fa died, leaving the company to his son from the second marriage, Chang Kuo-Wei.

In March 2016, a coup by the three children of Chang Yung-fa in the first marriage removed Chang Kuo-Wei as chairman and replaced him with Lin Pang-Shui (Steven Lin).

In June 2016, EVA Air is given a Skytrax 5-star rating, along with All Nippon Airways, Asiana Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Etihad Airways, Garuda Indonesia, Hainan Airlines, Qatar Airways, and Singapore Airlines.

Corporate affairs and identity

Management

As of 2011, EVA Air's corporate leadership is headed by Chairman Lin Bou-shiu and President Cheng Chuan-yi.^[37] EVA Air's president plays a primary role in managing EVA's business operations.^[7] Other members of EVA Air's board manage support and service services of the company, including its catering and maintenance divisions.^[7] Related areas outside EVA Air's direct management include UNI Holidays, Evergreen's Evasión travel service^[38] and Evergreen Laurel Hotels.^[39] EVA Air has its headquarters, known as the EVA Air Building, in Luzhu, Taoyuan City.^[9][40][41]

EVA Air is largely privately owned.^[6] Primary shareholders are Evergreen Marine Corporation (20%), Evergreen founder Chang Yung-fa (15%), and Evergreen International Corporation (11%).^[37] Foreign investors and individual stockholders combined hold 28% of EVA Air shares.^[37]

Cultural details

EVA Air has differentiated its onboard service by using Taiwanese (Hokkien), Mandarin, Hakka, English, and other languages for its in-flight cabin announcements.^[13] The order of Hokkien and Mandarin has varied since the carrier's launch. EVA Air has also used Taiwanese folk songs in its boarding music, including an orchestral form of "Longing for Spring Wind" performed by the Evergreen Group's Evergreen Symphony Orchestra.^[13] The carrier's aircraft and employee color scheme has at times been interpreted by observers as support for the Pan-Green Coalition of Taiwanese politics,^[42] mainly due to Evergreen founder Chang Yung-fa's political views in the 2000 presidential election,^[42][43] but this association changed following Chang's support of the Pan-Blue Coalition in the 2004 presidential election.^[43] The carrier has further abstained from displaying official markings of Taiwan on its aircraft, and received expedited approval of international landing rights as a result.^[44]

Branding

Name and logo

The name "EVA" was taken from two letters of "Evergreen" and the first letter of "Airways." The name "EVA" is always spelled in capital letters and is pronounced "E-V-A". The airline uses the logo of its parent company, using green with an orange trim.^[45]

Livery and uniforms

The standard EVA Air livery utilizes dark green, signifying durability,^[12] and orange, representing technological innovation.^[12] The tail globe logo is intended to represent stability and reliability, and its positioning on the tail, with one corner off the edge, represents service innovation.^[12] The EVA Air livery was updated in 2002, adding a larger typeface and the use of green covering the aircraft below the window line. The tail design and logo remained unchanged. In late 2015, EVA Air redesigned their livery and tail logo, using the dark green color on the belly, and cancelled the orange line on the edge of the tail to highlight the corporate identity. It's the third generation livery of EVA Air, symbolizing their ambition to connect Taiwan to the world.

Since 2003, EVA Air has adopted its current uniform, featuring dark green dresses with cropped jackets. Chief pursers are distinguished by orange highlights, gold bands, and orange stripes; flight attendants feature green trim and white stripes. The current uniform replaced the former green-and-orange necktie ensembles used in EVA Air's first twelve years.^[46]

Marketing slogans

EVA Air has used different slogans throughout its operational history. The first slogan appeared on English advertising in the United States,^[47] while the 1996 and 2003 versions were introduced internationally in both English and Mandarin. In 2005, a second "Sharing the world" slogan was introduced to complement the arrival of the airline's Boeing 777s.^[48] EVA Air slogans have been as follows:

• Flying into the Future(2016–present)

Divisions

EVA Air Cargo

Founded concurrently with the passenger operations of EVA Air, EVA Air Cargo operates facilities in Europe, Asia, and North America. Its cargo operations have diversified to include transportation of high-tech equipment and special care items such as museum artwork^[49] and live zoological specimens.^[50] EVA Air has stated its goal of achieving a 50/50 split in revenues between its passenger and cargo operations.^[7] The airline's cargo operations are mainly operated via a fleet of Boeing 747-400,^[51] MD-11 dedicated freighters, Boeing 747-400 Combi aircraft, and additional belly cargo space on passenger aircraft.^[7]

Following the establishment of its A330 fleet and the introduction of Boeing 777 long-haul aircraft, the airline converted some of its older Boeing 747-400 passenger aircraft to freighters to meet cargo market demands.^[52] EVA Air Cargo established its European Cargo Center in Brussels in 2003^[53] and opened its Southern China Cargo Center in Hong Kong in 2006.^[54]

As of 2007, EVA Air Cargo has 43 weekly cargo flights to London, Vienna, Brussels and US destinations including Los Angeles, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Chicago, Atlanta and New York. The carrier also has code-shares with international airlines including Air Nippon (a subsidiary of All Nippon Airways), British Airways World Cargo, Austrian Airlines and Lufthansa Cargo.^[55]

In recent years, the airline has focused its North American cargo operations solely on point-to-point routes. By 2004, EVA Air Cargo ranked among the world's top 10 largest air freight companies.^[56] Industry publication Air Cargo World ranked EVA Air Cargo 6th out of 50 in its 2008 Air Cargo Excellence Survey, a measure of cargo service customer service and performance.^[57] In 2008, EVA Air handled the transport of two Chinese pandas, donated as a gift to the Taipei Zoo.^[58]

Maintenance and support

EVA Air service divisions further include pilot and cabin attendant training facilities, along with its Evergreen Sky Catering and Evergreen Airline Services ground support divisions. EVA Air has partnered with General Electric since 1998 to operate the Evergreen Aviation Technologies Corporation (EGAT), a heavy maintenance and aircraft overhaul service.^[59] Evergreen Aviation Technologies Corporation provides safety, repair, and refit services for EVA Air, other airlines' aircraft, and has handled the modification of four Boeing 747 Large Cargo Freighter aircraft for Boeing's 787 Dreamliner program.^[59]

Financial report

Eva Air's financial results are shown below:^[60]

	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
Operating Revenue (NT$ Million)	102,192	107,110	110,747	116,921	115,892	115,495
Net profit (NT$ Million)	+209	+504	+747	−1306	+6436	+3476
Number of passengers carried (m)	-	7.5	8.0	8.9	10.0	11.2
Passenger load factor (%)	78	79.3	79.6	78.1	80.8	80
Cargo carried (000s tonnes)	793	741	713	680	622	611
Number of aircraft (at year end)	59	60	62	67	65	72
Number of employees (at year end)	5,807	6,429	7,077	7,750	-	-
References	[61]	[62]	[63]	[64]	[65]	[66]

Destinations

Most EVA Air flights originate out of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, its main hub near Taipei, Taiwan.^[11] At Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, EVA Air's flight operations are concentrated in Terminal 2. Additionally, EVA Air and its domestic subsidiary UNI Air operate numerous flights out of Kaohsiung International Airport.^[7] A focus city for EVA Air outside Taiwan is Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport, with westerly connections to all its European destinations except for Paris, which is flown non-stop.

Through the mid-2000s, EVA Air's route network was affected by the political status of Taiwan, which has historically limited access for Taiwanese airlines to Europe and certain Asian countries.^[7] Because Taiwanese carriers did not have direct access to China, EVA Air has used Hong Kong and Macau as interline destinations.^[52] EVA Air operated regular charter flights to China in 2008. The airline began regularly scheduled, direct cross-strait operations in December 2008, following the restoration of direct travel links.^[67]

A Houston route was opened in June 2015, and service to Chicago O'Hare began in November 2, 2016, using a 777-300ER, as part of a planned increase in North American flights from 58 flights to 77 flights a week.

EVA Air launched a new year-round service to Istanbul on 5 March 2016, operating 777-300ER aircraft. This route was first downgraded to a seasonal frequency and then cancelled altogether by September 2016.^[68] EVA Air also launched daily service to Cebu, Philippines on 27 March 2016 using A321-200 aircraft.

Codeshare agreements

EVA Air codeshares with the following airlines:^[69]

Fleet

The EVA Air fleet consists of the following aircraft (as of June 2017):^[3][71]

EVA Air Fleet

Aircraft	In Service	Orders	Options	Passengers				Notes
				J	K	Y	Total
Airbus A321-200	22	—	—	8	—	176	184	Operated by EVA Air and Uni Air Two transferred to Uni Air.
Airbus A330-200	4	—	—	24	—	228	252	To be phased out To be replaced by Airbus A330-300
Airbus A330-300	8	1	—	30	—	279	309	Orders to replace the A330-200.
Boeing 747-400	1	—	—	36	56	280	372	Last flight: 21 August 2017 as BR892 from Hong Kong to Taipei.[72]
Boeing 777-300ER	34	3[73]	—	38	64	211	313	Older 777s will refurbish to C39W56Y258.
				39	56	238	333
				39	56	258	353	New 777 orders are intended to replace the 747s.
Boeing 787-9	—	4[74]	—	TBA
Boeing 787-10	—	20[73][74]	6[73]	TBA				18 from Boeing[73] and 2 lease from ALC.[74]
EVA Air Cargo Fleet
Boeing 747-400BDSF	2	—	—	N/A				Converted passenger aircraft. To be retired.
Boeing 747-400F	3	—	—	N/A				To be retired.
Boeing 777F	—	5[75]	—	N/A				New 777 orders are intended to replace the 747s.
Total	75	33	6

Fleet gallery

• Hover over each photo to view label detail
• 
  Airbus A321-200
• 
  Airbus A330-200
• 
  Airbus A330-300
• 
  Boeing 747-400
• 
  Boeing 777-300ER
• 
  Boeing 747-400F

Former fleet

EVA Air Former Fleet^[71]

Aircraft	Fleet	Introduced	Retired	Notes
Airbus A320-200	1	2007	2009	Leased from TransAsia Airways Primary used on domestic routes.
Boeing 747-400M	10	1993	2015	Replaced by Boeing 777-300ER. Four aircraft are converted into freighter. Two aircraft are currently stored.
Boeing 757-200	2	2002	2004	Leased from Far Eastern Air Transport Primary used on Macau routes Returned due to SARS outbreak.
Boeing 767-200	4	1994	2005	Replaced by Airbus A330-200
Boeing 767-300ER	5	1991	2007	Replaced by Airbus A330-200
McDonnell Douglas MD-11	3	1992	2003	Replaced by Boeing 777-300ER After retired from passenger service, it converted into freighter.
McDonnell Douglas MD-11F	12	1992[76]	2015[76]	3 were converted from passenger service. Five aircraft are currently stored.
McDonnell Douglas MD-90-30	14	1996	2016	Replaced by Airbus A321-200. Some fleets are leased from Uni Air.

Special liveries

In October 2005, EVA Air launched a campaign with Japanese company Sanrio to create the "Hello Kitty Jet," featuring the popular Japanese character.^[77] Using the airline's A330-200, the exterior adopted a livery of Hello Kitty characters. A year later, the airline launched a second Hello Kitty Jet. The aircraft featured a Hello Kitty motif on exterior and interior fittings and features.^[78] Both planes were used to serve Japanese destinations,^[79] and from mid–July 2007, also Taipei-Hong Kong routes. The original Hello Kitty livery was retired in 2009, but in 2011 EVA Air announced its return in redesigned form to mark the carrier's 20th anniversary and renew interest in Japanese tourism.^[80] For this occasion, EVA Air had ordered brand-new Airbus A330-300s to be painted in an all-new Hello Kitty livery, which the first three were the Hello Kitty with Magic Stars, Hello Kitty Loves Apples, and Hello Kitty Around the World.

After the introduction of the "refreshed" Hello Kitty Livery on three EVA Air A330's, EVA Air decided to introduce two additional Hello Kitty A330 jets, launched in May and June 2012. The fourth and fifth Hello Kitty jets are known as Hello Kitty Speed Puff and Hello Kitty Happy Music respectively. In 2013, the carrier rolled out its sixth Hello Kitty jet Hand in Hand, this time on a Boeing 777-300ER. The plane featured all the main characters from the Sanrio family. In 2015, the seventh and final Hello Kitty jet, Kikilala-themed Shining Star Boeing 777-300ER, rolled out.^[35] In 2017, the first 3 of the Hello Kitty jets, Hello Kitty with Magic Stars, Hello Kitty Loves Apples, and Hello Kitty Around the World were re-themed into Bad Badtz-Maru Travel Fun, Joyful Dream, and Celebration Flight respectively. At the same time, the Gudetama Comfort Flight were added onto the A321, and the Hello Kitty Speed Puff and Hello Kitty Happy Music were phased out.

In July 2006, EVA Air's third new Boeing 777-300ER was Boeing's center stage at the 2006 Farnborough Airshow in a static display.^[81] The aircraft, with its special 777-300ER "Rainbow" livery, was leased by Boeing for a week to be presented at the show. The first three EVA Air Boeing 777 aircraft featured this livery, which were repainted in 2013 (B-16701 in Star Alliance livery, B-16702 in regular livery, B-16703 in Hello Kitty "Hand in Hand" livery).

For the 2010 Taipei International Flora Exposition, EVA Air debuted a floral-inspired design for its A330-200 aircraft, highlighting the carrier's official sponsorship of the event;^[82][83] the "Flora Expo cabin concept" introduced interior products such as in-flight meals with a flower motif.^[82]

Fleet plans

EVA Air's long-haul fleet is based on the Boeing 777-300ER, with the carrier's initial order for 15 all delivered by 2011. In 2006, the airline decided against its existing three Boeing 777-200LR orders (stating that with the 777-300ERs it has sufficient passenger capacity), and the 777-200LR orders were converted into 777-300ER orders.^[84] In late 2010, EVA Air indicated it planned to lease three A330-300 aircraft for Asian routes in 2011.^[85] In mid-2011, EVA Air announced plans to acquire further 777-300ERs to complete the replacement of its 747-400 aircraft on Europe and U.S. routes, along with A321 series narrow-body jets to replace its MD-90 fleet.^[86] On 8 May 2012, EVA Air signed orders with Boeing for 3 additional 777-300ERs, and also announced its lease of 4 more 777-300ERs from GECAS.^[87] Due to falling of freight demands, the airline restructured its cargo fleet by retiring the MD-11s. The last 747 combi flight was conducted on 5 January 2015 as BR868 from Hong Kong to Taipei, ending its 22-year service. After the release of Airbus A330neo, Eva air puts its A330 renewal plans on hold. Eva air also considers ordering more A321 (either the CEO variant or the NEO variant), and possibly order the 777Fs to replace the existing fleet of 747-400Fs and the already phased out MD-11Fs. The carrier plans to operate up to 100 aircraft.

At the Paris Airshow 2015, Eva Air announced its Intention to purchase 5 777F^[88] and 4 A330-300.^[89] EVA Air confirmed the order of up to 24 Boeing 787-10 and two additional Boeing 777-300ER.They also announced the additional lease of 787 aircraft from ALC.^[90][91]

EVA announced in late 2015 that it will be retiring all their A330-200 aircraft by the end of 2016, replacing them with the newly ordered A330-300.

747 retirements

As the 777s continue to phase in, the 747s are being progressively retired. On 5 January 2015, EVA Air had retired their first 747 variant, the combi variant. In 2016, EVA announced that the last 747-400 passenger service will be mid-May 2017. Last planned 747-400 long range service will be 26 March 2017. The airline will continue to operate the two daily 747-400 to Shanghai until mid-may. The airline also plans to retire the 747 freighters when the 777 freighters are delivered.

Services

Check-in

At Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, EVA Air has introduced the EVA Air Check-in Kiosks at T2, counters 6A, allowing passengers to check in and print their boarding passes electronically, since December 2009.^[92] The kiosks are currently available at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and Taipei Songshan Airport. Over time, EVA will install these counters in airports in China and other international EVA Air destinations. Outside of Taiwan, it is only currently available in Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Osaka.^[92] Previously, if passengers were to check in for an EVA Air flight, they would have to go to an airline representative at the counters.

Onboard

EVA Air offers three classes of service on its long-haul flights: "Royal Laurel"/"Premium Laurel" (business), "Elite Class" (premium economy) and Economy Class.^[18] All cabins feature satellite phones, audio video on demand (AVOD) entertainment,^[93] SMS service,^[94] and in a number of Boeing 777 cabins, mood lighting (B-16718-B-16727).^[93] Domestic and short-haul international services flown also feature a short-haul business class.

In the latter half of 2007, EVA Air's Boeing 747-400 fleet was upgraded to feature the airline's latest seating classes; the addition of Premium Laurel class on the Boeing 747-400 succeeded the previous "Super First" and "Super Business" cabins.^[95][96] In early 2012, EVA Air officials unveiled a redesigned "Royal Laurel" business class, including 180-degree, fully flat seats in reverse herringbone layout, which was first introduced on Boeing 777-300ER services in June 2012 between Taipei and New York.^[34]

Cabin classes

EVA Air currently has five classes, which are listed below.

In May 2012, EVA Air announced to introduce a new business class product on select, redesigned Boeing 777-300ER aircraft: Royal Laurel class. The cabin features 38 180° lie-flat bed seats in a reverse herringbone configuration pitched at 2,000 and 650 mm (79 and 26 in) wide. Laptop power and multi-port connectors (USB/iPod) are available at each seat.^[97] The Royal Laurel class seating arrangement is in a 1–2–1 abreast arrangement.^[98] The airline is offering the service with these redesigned B777s on the TPE-JFK route, and gradually offering the service for LAX, SFO, YYZ, CDG, AMS and LHR (the latter two routes fly via BKK) routes by 2013. Cabin upgrades are projected to be completed August 2013.^[97]

Premium Laurel, EVA Air's existing business class cabin, was introduced in 2003 with the A330-200, and expanded to more destinations with the Boeing 777-300ER in 2005 and refitted Boeing 747-400 (replacing "Super First") in 2007. Seats are pitched at 1,549 mm (61.0 in) in Premium Laurel in a pod-style layout, and can convert to an angled lie-flat bed.^[94] Laptop power is available. Premium Laurel class seating is in a 2–2–2 abreast arrangement on the Boeing 777,^[99] Boeing 747 (2–2 in the forward nose section),^[100] and A330.^[101] In 2016, Premium Laurel was upgraded to the new B/E Aerospace seats in a 2-2-2 configuration.

Elite Class, EVA Air's premium economy product, is offered in a dedicated cabin on the Boeing 777 and 747-400. Elite Class has wider seating and legroom (in a 2-4-2 layout), and a seat similar to short-haul business class with an extendable leg rest, 970 to 1,020 mm (38 to 40 in) pitch, adjustable winged headrests, and laptop power.^[94] Service levels in Elite Class are similar to Economy Class, but food and amenities are improved, along with the seating. Elite passengers further receive an amenity kit on most flights.^[102]

Economy Class is available on all EVA Air aircraft, featuring 840 mm (33 in) pitch, touchscreen personal entertainment screens, sliding seat cushions, and adjustable winged headrests.^[18] Each seat is also equipped with a personal handset satellite telephone which can be used with a credit card. Economy seating is in 3–3–3 arrangement on the Boeing 777,^[99] 3–4–3 on the Boeing 747(main deck) and new Boeing 777, 3-2 on the MD90, 3–3 on the A321 & Boeing 747 (upper deck),^[100] and 2–4–2 on all A330s.^[101] In Economy Class of A321 and MD 90, there is no personal entertainment, with only overhead screens.

A new Economy and Elite cabin is available on select 777-300ER aircraft. Those new seats have improved entertainment systems and USB and 110V AC ports in each seat. It includes a seat-back screen that is 11.1 inches, compared to the previous 9 inches.^[103] By 2017, EVA Air will finish refurbishing most of their 777-300ER aircraft with the newest premium economy and economy product, along with the installation of Wi-Fi.

In-flight entertainment

EVA Air's audio video on demand (AVOD) entertainment system, Star Gallery, is available in all classes, except Airbus A321 Economy class. This system has 40 movies and short features, interactive games, and over 100 music albums.^[104] Programs are mainly in Mandarin and English, with some selections in Japanese, German and French.

Sky Gallery entertainment categories include such areas as Sky Hollywood (films), Sky Concert Hall (music and playlist creator), Kids' World (entertainment geared toward younger travelers), among others. The Panasonic Avionics 3000i system can display Mandarin, English, or Japanese text. On certain aircraft, Panasonic EX3 system is installed. Since 2005, customers can also send SMS text messages and emails to the ground using their personal handsets and seatback screens.^[95] Seatback video is not available in Economy Class on A321-200 planes.

enVoyage is EVA's inflight magazine and features articles in English, Mandarin and Japanese.^[105] EVA Air's duty-free shopping brochure, EVA Air Sky Shop, is included at each seat in either paper or video form, with sales occurring in-flight, typically after meal services. EVA Air also stocks a supply of newspapers and magazine publications on international flights,^[94] selection depending on route.

Catering

EVA Air offers a variety of meals on intercontinental routes, depending on seat class, destination and flight length. Western and Eastern menu selections are typically offered,^[106] including seasonal menu selections varied by destination. Special meal offerings can be requested in each class during booking, including children's, religious, vegetarian, and other meals.

In Royal Laurel and Premium Laurel Class, passengers can pre-order gourmet entreés, depending on destination,^[94] including specialties produced by Din Tai Fung, the award-winning Taiwanese restaurant. Royal Laurel cabins on the Boeing 777 also feature an in-flight refreshment bar, and European wine selections are served.^[107]

EVA Air Lounges

EVA Air operates airline lounges, under the brand name EVA Air Lounge, in major destination airports. Passengers eligible to enter these facilities include first and business class passengers, Infinity MileageLands Diamond, Gold, and Silver card holders, Star Alliance Gold members, and airlines who have contracted the lounge facilities.^[108]

EVA Air's four flagship lounges, located at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are:

• The Garden (Infinity MileageLands Diamond, American Express Centurion/EVA Air Cobrand Platinum Cardholders, and Citibank EVA Air Cobrand World Card)
• The Infinity (Infinity MileageLands Diamond, Royal Laurel/Premium Laurel Class passengers, Star Alliance First/Business Class Passengers, American Express Centurion/EVA Air Cobrand Platinum Cardholders, and Citibank EVA Air Cobrand World Cardholders)
• The Star (Infinity MileageLands Diamond/Gold, Royal Laurel/Premium Laurel Class Passengers, Star Alliance First/Business Class Passengers, Star Alliance Gold members, American Express Centurion/EVA Air Cobrand Platinum Cardholders, Citibank EVA Air Cobrand World Cardholders, Business customers, elite status members of codeshare partners, and star alliance airlines which contracts EVA services)
• The Club by EVA Air (Infinity MileageLands Silver, Citibank Diamond Cardholders, Diners Club cardholders, and Citibank EVA Air Cobrand Titanium/Platinum Cardholders, non-Star Alliance member airlines contracted with EGAT).^[108]

EVA Air lounge services typically include refreshments, business facilities, and television and reading entertainment.^[108] The lounge at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Terminal 2, has separate eating facilities at different levels.^[108]

EVA Air also operates EVA Air Lounges at Bangkok International Airport, San Francisco International Airport, and Kaohsiung International Airport.

Infinity MileageLands

EVA Air's frequent flyer program, Infinity MileageLands, awards members points based on miles traveled and class of service. Infinity MileageLands points are redeemable for upgrades and free tickets, and can also be accumulated through credit card use, rental car agencies, Evergreen Laurel Hotels, and other participating services. Membership benefits include a dedicated reservation line, dedicated customer service hotlines, dedicated check-in services, holiday gifts(Diamond Card Holders), Evergreen Lounge access, additional baggage allowance with priority handling, and discounts on car rentals and hotels.^[109]

Membership into the program is free. The program is divided into four tiers: Green, Silver, Gold, and Diamond.^[109] Infinity MileageLands privileges are additive by membership tier, with higher tiers including all benefits listed for prior tiers. The program accepts miles flown on partner airlines and Star Alliance partners such as All Nippon Airways and United Airlines, provided that the flights are booked and logged according to EVA Air frequent flier rules.^[109] Co-branded American Express, Citibank, and Diners Club cards can also earn miles.^[109] Qualification levels and general benefits are listed on the EVA Air website.^[109]

Shuttle services

EVA Air operates the following shuttle services in the United States and Europe, free for customers:

• To/from John F. Kennedy International Airport (New York City): In New Jersey: Jersey City, Piscataway, Fort Lee, East Hanover, Cherry Hill - In Pennsylvania: South Philadelphia and Cheltenham^[110]
• To/from George Bush Intercontinental Airport (Houston): Stops in the Dallas-Fort Worth area: Richardson^[111]
• To/from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol: Saint-Gilles (Sint-Gillis), Brussels (near the Brussels-South (Midi) railway station) and Berchem, Antwerp (near Antwerp-Berchem bus station) - Co-operated with Reizen Lauwers NV^[112]

Safety ranking and Incidents

To date, EVA Air has not had any aircraft losses or passenger fatalities in its operational history.^[113] As of 21 January 2014, EVA Air is ranked number 3 in safety after Qantas and Cathay Pacific out of more than 800 individual airlines by Aero International, a German monthly devoted to civil aviation. ^[114]

At JACDEC Airline Safety Ranking 2017, EVA Air was ranked 6th place.(out of 60 major airlines).^[115]

On 30 May 2012, EVA Air Cargo Flight BR661 (Boeing 747-400F) clipped the tail of American Eagle Flight 4265 at Chicago O'Hare. The regional jet had arrived from Springfield, Mo., and was taxiing toward a gate at Terminal 3. The accident occurred around 1 p.m. CT. The incident occurred as the American Eagle jet was pulling into Gate G20. Damage to the two aircraft appeared to be minor and both returned to service after repair.

On 26 May 2015, EVA Air flight BR12 (Boeing 777-300ER B-16718, Delivered May 2014) from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to Los Angeles landed safely at Los Angeles International Airport at 15:40 (3:40 pm). It departed from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport at 18:57 (6:57 pm) Taiwan time with 305 passengers, 3 pilots and 15 flight attendants on board. Approximately 20 minutes before the flight landed, the FAA received a telephone call that the flight was the target of a security threat. As soon as the aircraft landed, authorities took it to a secure area in a cargo bay. FBI agents, the Los Angeles Police Bomb Squad and other officials continued their investigation. After a thorough investigation, the FBI, Los Angeles Police Department Bomb Squad and airport officials have confirmed that the security threat against EVA Air BR12 flight from Taipei to Los Angeles was a false alarm. Passengers began getting off of the aircraft for security screenings at 17:15 (5:15 pm PDT) and, now, authorities have released the Boeing 777-300ER back to EVA Air to resume operations. The aircraft was initially scheduled to operate as EVA flight BR11 scheduled to depart from Los Angeles to Taipei at 17:15 (5:15 pm PDT). EVA used another from a later flight to use on flight BR11 due to the time needed for thorough security checks. EVA BR11 was delayed by 2 hours 15 minutes and took off at 19:30 (7:30 pm PDT) with 298 passengers on board.^[116]

On 16 December 2016, EVA Air Flight BR 15 (Boeing 777-300ER B-16726, Delivered January 2016) from Los Angeles International Airport to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport narrowly missed hitting Mount Wilson and Air Canada Flight 788. The LAX control tower mistakenly tells the pilot to turn left instead of right to head over the ocean. BR 15 instead headed north and was maintaining 5000 feet as it headed towards 5700 foot peak Mt. Wilson. EVA was forced to climb to 6000 feet. Air Canada Flight 788, also from LAX was taking the same route BR 15 was. Air Canada Flight 788 was forced to climb to over 10000 feet to avoid hitting BR 15. It took almost two minutes for the pilot to make a 180 degree turn to go southbound. An investigation is being held and EVA Air also did not comment.^[117]

See also

• Air transport in Taiwan
• List of airports in Taiwan
• List of companies of Taiwan
• Transportation in Taiwan

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: EVA Air (category)

• Official website
• Archived website at the Wayback Machine (archive index)