SEATTLE, 2014-5-23 — /Travel PR News/ — EVA Air took delivery of its 16th and 17th Boeing 777-300ER (registration numbers B-16718 and B-16719) on 21 May, 2014 at the Boeing factory in Everett, Washington. Boeing and EVA staged a delivery ceremony led by EVA Chairman K.W. Chang and Boeing Marketing, Sales Strategy & Operations Vice President Ihssane Mounir.
The event showcased the two new aircraft in front of the delivery center. “Our new Boeing 777-300ERs equip us to initiate significant changes in the flying experience we offer. We are going to make flying more fun and more comfortable than ever for our passengers,” said EVA Air Chairman K.W. Chang.
EVA’s new Boeing777-300ERs are the first in the world to be equipped with Panasonic’s latest generation eX3 inflight entertainment system and Global Communication Suite (GCS). With this system, EVA now offers passengers SMS roaming service to send and receive short messages on their own mobile phones. The airline also now provides Sky Wi-Fi access. At an altitude of 20,000 feet or higher, passengers can send and receive e-mails, use instant messaging APPs and check in on social media.
EVA upgraded individual seat-back entertainment systems with high-resolution monitors and multi-touch technology, too. Now, passengers can select and execute various functions by simply sliding their fingers across the screens.
In Economy Class and Elite premium economy, EVA enlarged monitors from its earlier 9 inches to 11.1. It equipped its Royal Laurel Class top cabin with 16-inch screens and AV control handsets that have 4-inch LCD panels. Now, passengers in this cabin can simultaneously play video games on their handsets and use the remote controls to execute functions on the seat-back screens.
EVA configured its newest Boeing777-300ERs for 333 passengers in three cabins, 39 in Royal Laurel Class business, 56 in Elite premium economy and 238 in Economy. And it has created new interiors that are elegant and stylish in addition to being comfortable and inviting.
EVA designed Elite and Economy Class cabins with seats that give passengers more leg-rest room than similar products and are all equipped with 110v AC outlets and USB ports. It added full-grain leather headrest covers and new mood-light systems in Royal Laurel and Elite Classes.
As it places its new 777-300ERs in service, EVA is also updating Royal Laurel Class service items. It is outfitting cabins with new noise-cancelling headsets that have better sound quality and enhanced noise-reduction performance. It has begun serving Fiji Water, a popular premium bottled product from the Fiji Islands. And it is stepping up efforts to make passengers comfortable and feel at home onboard its flights by offering pajamas.
EVA is also introducing two new colors for its sought-after and collectible Rimowa overnight kits, Crystal Green for inbound flights and Prosecco outbound.
Both aircraft departed Seattle’s Paine Field Airport at 16:00 (4 pm PDT). The EVA Chairman, an aviator certified to fly Boeing 777-300ERs who has earned the rank of airline captain, piloted the first to take off. The aircraft will arrive in Taiwan at Taipei’s Taoyuan International Airport at 19:30 (7:30 pm) local time on 22 May, 2014.
As it places its new aircraft in operation, EVA will increase flight frequency from North America, starting 3 June, 2014. It will initiate one of the new aircraft as BR31 on Mondays’ and Tuesdays’ New York – Taipei flights, boosting service on the route from five times a week to daily. It will use the second as BR11 on Taipei – Los Angeles service, flying Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, adding three flights/week to the 17 it now operates. It will also raise both Toronto and Vancouver frequency from three flights a week to four.
When EVA takes delivery of a third new Boeing777-300ER in June, it will increase San Francisco frequency from 12 to 14 trips per week and add one more flight to the 20 on the Los Angeles route. These increases will raise EVA’s North American services from 45 flights per week to 55.
Before the first Boeing 777-300ER rolled out of the factory, EVA was working closely with the manufacturer to design the aircraft. EVA was a launch customer for the 777-300ER, ordering 15 in 2000 with deliveries starting in 2005. The airline ordered seven more in 2012 for deliveries starting this year. EVA will have a total of 22 Boeing 777-300ERs in its fleet after all the new aircraft are delivered and company officials have not ruled out the possibility of ordering more.
Delivery of these two new Boeing 777-300ERs brings EVA’s total fleet size to 66 aircraft. By the end of 2015, the carrier will have five more of the jets in service. It has also taken delivery of eight Airbus 321-200s and is using them on regional routes. It will add 16 more A321-200s by the end of 2016. After all of its new aircraft are delivered and older models are retired, EVA’s fleet will include more than 70 airplanes.
The newest member of Star Alliance, EVA links an international network of major destinations worldwide, including dozens of cities in China and throughout Asia. EVA offers more trans-Pacific flights from North America to Taipei where, with just one easy stop, it provides onward connections to more major business and leisure centers than any other airline. Business and leisure travelers can access the expanded schedules and book the added flights now through travel agents and EVA’s website at www.evaair.com.
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EVA Chairman K.W. Chang and Boeing VP Marketing Ihssane Mounir staged delivery ceremony for EVA Air’s two new Boeing 777-300ERs