EVA Air boosts Kaohsiung flights with wide-body jets

長榮航空用廣體客機增加高雄航線航班

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — EVA Air began using larger aircraft from Kaohsiung on Wednesday as it looks to capture growing travel and business demand in southern Taiwan.

The airline’s Airbus A330-300 aircraft will serve Kaohsiung routes to Macau, Shanghai Pudong, and Tokyo Narita, increasing seat capacity to 309, a jump of almost 70% in capacity on the routes, per CNA.

The change reflects the airline’s effort to develop Kaohsiung as a second operating hub and strengthen its southern Taiwan network, according to EVA Air President Sun Chia-ming (孫嘉明), per the report. He said support from the Ministry of Transportation and Communications and Civil Aviation Administration helped the airline increase capacity at Kaohsiung International Airport.

The first upgraded flight was a Kaohsiung–Tokyo Narita service, which was marked with a water salute and an A330-300-themed boarding area. A passenger surnamed Lin said the wide-body aircraft would make it easier for southern Taiwan travelers to fly on larger planes without going through northern Taiwan, according to the report.

EVA Air said the A330-300 offers twin aisles, newer entertainment consoles, more cabin space, and free in-flight Wi-Fi. Its Kaohsiung network, which offers 56 weekly flights, includes Seoul, Hong Kong, Fukuoka, Osaka, Macau, Shanghai Pudong, and Tokyo Narita.