EVA Air receives their first Boeing 787 Dreamliner
EVA Air has taken delivery of their first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner leased from Air Lease during a delivery ceremony at Boeing’s South Carolina facility.
The airline is the first to operate the Boeing 787 in Taiwan and is set to deploy the General Electric GEnx powered aircraft on international routes in November according to Boeing’s media release.
Orders for 23 787s consisting of three 787-9s and 20 787-10s exist within the airlines order book. All four 787-9s will be leased from Air Lease as well as two 787-10s. The remaining 787-9s will be delivered to EVA by early 2019 with 787-10 deliveries following soon after. All deliveries will conclude sometime in the middle of 2021.
The aircraft is fitted with 304 seats in a two class configuration divided into 26 Royal Laurel Class business and 278 in economy.
Economy class features headrests that can adjust to six inches in six different directions. Entertainment screens are 12 inch HD touchscreen with USB charging capabilities.
The Royal Laurel class was designed and built with BMW Designworks as a partner. It features 18 inch HD multi-touch screens for entertainment, extra-large fold-out tables, privacy blinds and built in storage cabinets. This allows passengers travelling in business class to enjoy a comfortable and cozy work amd rest space. The actual seats are 23 inches wide and can recline into a 76 inch flatbed.
Chairman of EVA Air, Steve Lin, reflected on the delivery in the following statement:
“This milestone delivery marks the beginning of a new era for EVA Air as we continue to revolutionize Taiwan’s dynamic commercial aviation industry”
He later added:
“The 787 Dreamliner’s extraordinary efficiency and passenger pleasing cabin features will further elevate EVA Air’s position as a five-star global airline. We are excited to introduce the 787 into our fleet and they will play an integral role in our success going forward”
In addition, the airline has selected a variety of Boeing Global Services tools, including Maintenance Performance Toolbox, Airplane Health Management and the electronic flight bag product.