EVA Air
was launched in March 1989 as part of the Evergreen Group, a global shipping conglomerate. The airline is headquartered in Taoyuan, Taiwan, and its primary hub is Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE). Today, the airline is widely recognized for its exceptional service and safety record.
When established in 1989, the goal of EVA Air was to expand the reach of the Evergreen Group. Evergreen Marine already had a significant teach through its maritime operations as well as other corporations. However, Dr. Chang Yung-fa, founder of the group, knew more could be done with an airline. So, in 1988, Yung-fa announced he was starting an airline in celebration of the Evergreen Group’s 20th anniversary.
The airline’s first flight was to Los Angeles International Airport
(LAX) in 1991. Using a Boeing 767-300ER, July 1 marked the first-ever EVA flight. Since then, the airline has expanded its network to more than 60 destinations.
Today, EVA Air serves destinations throughout Asia, North America, Europe, and Oceania. Its fleet comprises Boeing 777-300ERS, Boeing 787s, and Airbus A330s for long-haul operations. For shorter distances, the airline uses Airbus A321 aircraft.
According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, EVA Air has 620 roundtrip flights scheduled between Taiwan and the United States (US) in October. Currently, the airline operates flights to six American cities:
- Los Angeles
- San Francisco
- Seattle
- Houston
- Chicago
- New York
Having joined the Star Alliance
just over ten years ago, EVA Air’s current US network lines up with several United Airlines hubs. Of the six destinations, four of them are United hubs. In the New York area, EVA operates flights to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), while United’s hub is at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).
Los Angeles
As mentioned above, Los Angeles was EVA Air’s first-ever destination. Today, the airline operates three daily roundtrips to LAX. In October, EVA has 60,578 seats available between Taiwan and Los Angeles.
Photo: Philip Pilosian | Shutterstock
Of all of the US routes, Los Angeles is one of two that are served more than once daily. Using the Boeing 777-300ER, EVA’s LAX flights operate on the following schedule:
Origin |
Destination |
Departure |
Arrival |
---|---|---|---|
Taipei |
Los Angeles |
10:10/10:20 |
07:05/07:00 |
Taipei |
Los Angeles |
19:20/19:40 |
16:20 |
Taipei |
Los Angeles |
23:55 |
20:35/20:55 |
Los Angeles |
Taipei |
00:05 |
05:20 |
Los Angeles |
Taipei |
00:15 |
05:00/05:10 |
Los Angeles |
Taipei |
00:30/00:50 |
05:45/05:35 |
In Los Angeles, EVA faces competition from Starlux Airlines, which is operating daily flights with its flagship Airbus A350, and China Airlines, which operates ten weekly flights.
San Francisco
EVA launched flights to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) more than 20 years ago. Today, it operates one daily flight using its 777s. In October, EVA has 62,118 seats available roundtrip between Taoyan and San Francisco.
Flights to SFO operate on the following schedule:
Origin |
Destination |
Departure |
Arrival |
---|---|---|---|
Taipei |
San Francisco |
10:15/10:30 |
06:30/06:40 |
Taipei |
San Francisco |
19:40/19:50 |
16:00 |
Taipei |
San Francisco |
23:30 |
19:40/19:50 |
San Francisco |
Taipei |
00:10 |
05:10 |
San Francisco |
Taipei |
00:40/00:45 |
05:40/05:15 |
San Francisco |
Taipei |
01:00/01:10/01:25 |
05:10/05:20/05:35 |
San Francisco |
Taipei |
12:20/13:00 |
17:20/17:30 |
EVA is not the only carrier that operates this route, but it does have the largest market share. In October, United will operate two daily flights, while China Airlines and Starlux Airlines will each operate one daily frequency.
Seattle
Half of EVA’s US operations are to the West Coast of the US. Seattle is the only one of the three West Coast destinations that is not a hub for United Airlines. But, Seattle is an important point of entry for flights from Asia.
Photo: Kent Raney | Shutterstock
EVA uses the Boeing 787-10 for its flights to Seattle Tacoma International Airport, with a total seat offering of 21,204. At 6,074 miles, this is the shortest US route served by EVA.
Flights to Seattle operate on the following schedule:
Origin |
Destination |
Departure |
Arrival |
---|---|---|---|
Taipei |
Seattle |
23:40 |
19:10/19:30 |
Seattle |
Taipei |
01:10/01:30 |
05:10/05:20 |
To Seattle, EVA faces competition from Delta Air Lines, China Airlines, and Starlux Airlines. But of the three competing airlines, only Delta operates daily.
Houston
George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) first welcomed EVA Air service in 2015. The inaugural flight was operated by the Hello Kitty-themed Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. By October of the following year, EVA was operating daily flights to IAH.
Today, the airline continues serving Houston daily, deploying the Boeing 777-300ER. The 777s have 323 seats, making the total seat offering for the route 20,646 in October.
Origin |
Destination |
Departure |
Arrival |
---|---|---|---|
Taipei |
Houston |
21:20 |
22:00/22:15 |
Houston |
Taipei |
00:40/01:00/01:10 |
06:20/06:15/06:05 |
Chicago
Moving up to the home of EVA’s Star Alliance partner, United Airlines, Chicago has daily flights from Taiwan. Launched in November 2016, Chicago became EVA’s 8th destination in North America. At the time, EVA Air President Derek Chen said,
“By introducing our new Chicago route and increasing service from other North America cities, EVA will be offering 80 flights a week to Asia by the end of this year. Our trans-Pacific flight frequency will outnumber that of every other airline in the North America market. From these flights, our passengers can take one-stop connections from Taipeion to 12 major cities in Southeast Asia and experience the comfortable, convenient advantages of travel with EVA.”
Origin |
Destination |
Departure |
Arrival |
---|---|---|---|
Taipei |
Chicago |
20:00 |
20:35/20:45 |
Chicago |
Taipei |
00:30 |
04:55/05:20/05:25 |
New York
The route to John F. Kennedy International Airport is the second-longest in EVA’s US network. The 7,807-mile flight is operated daily by the 777-300ER and leaves Taipei in the late evening, with a late-night arrival in New York. The return leg leaves shortly after 01:00 and arrives in Taiwan in the early morning.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
Flights operate on the following schedule:
Origin |
Destination |
Departure |
Arrival |
---|---|---|---|
Taipei |
New York |
19:10/19:20 |
22:05 |
New York |
Taipei |
01:05/01:25 |
06:20/05:15 |