EVA Air: Soaring with Precision, Passion, and Great Food
In the ever-evolving realm of aviation, few stories are as captivating as that of EVA Air.
In the ever-evolving realm of aviation, few stories are as captivating as that of EVA Air.
In the ever-evolving realm of aviation, few stories are as captivating as that of EVA Air. Over 35 years, this Taiwanese airline has set a unique standard, combining innovation, safety, and culinary excellence.
The genesis of EVA Air dates to March 1989, when Dr. Chang Yung-Fa, founder of the Evergreen Group, envisioned establishing the first private international airline in Taiwan.
His idea came to fruition after the Taiwanese government, recognizing the potential of liberalizing the country’s air transportation system, allowed private enterprises to enter the aviation domain.
Within months of its inception, EVA Air placed orders for 26 aircraft with Boeing and McDonnell Douglas, a bold entry into the global aviation market, setting the stage for a fleet that would eventually symbolize innovation and reliability.
EVA Air took off in 1991 with a small fleet of Boeing 767-300ER aircraft fitted out with Business and Economy Class seating.
The airline’s first destinations included prominent Asian hubs such as Bangkok, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Singapore, and Seoul. Ambitious from the start, EVA Air swiftly added Vienna as its first European destination that same year. Just a year later, EVA Air entered the US market with a nonstop route between Taipei and Los Angeles (LAX).
As the new millennium unfolded, EVA Air embraced a significant long-haul fleet renewal initiative. In 2000, the airline became one of the launch customers of its current workhorse, the Boeing 777-300ER. It now operates 34 of them.
In December 2012, EVA Air joined the prestigious Star Alliance, the first Taiwanese airline to achieve such membership. The momentous step strengthened EVA Air’s global network and stepped up its collaborative efforts within the aviation industry.
In 2020, the airline had to cope with the same impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic as the rest of the aviation industry. Like its counterparts, EVA Air navigated through travel restrictions, border controls, and a drastic decline in passenger demand. As passenger-flight revenue fell by a staggering 93.6% in the second quarter of 2020, the airline resiliently adapted.
EVA Air used freighters to meet the market’s surging demand for deliveries, adjusted fleet dispatch and routes, and implemented pandemic prevention tasks. The reward: cargo revenues surged by 137%.
In the fall of 2022, EVA Air scripted a new chapter in its history by launching nonstop flights to Milan and Munich, a move toward attracting more travelers from Europe. The move was aimed at funneling passengers through…
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David H. Stringer, the History Editor for AIRWAYS Magazine, has chronicled the story of the commercial aviation industry with his airline history articles that have appeared in AIRWAYS over two decades. Here, for the first time, is a compilation of those articles.
Subjects A through C are presented in this first of three volumes. Covering topics such as the airlines of Alaska at the time of statehood and Canada's regional airlines of the 1960s, the individual histories of such carriers as Allegheny, American, Braniff, and Continental are also included in Volume One. Get your copy today!
