Taiwan’s EVA Air receives first 787-9s Dreamliner

台灣長榮航空公司獲得首批787-9s夢幻客機

EVA Air takes delivery of first 787-9s, will enter into service in November


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwan’s EVA Air and Boeing celebrated the delivery of EVA’s first 787-9s Dreamliner at a handover ceremony in South Carolina, U.S. on Oct 2.

EVA Air will be the first carrier in Taiwan to fly the new model, and it will enter into service in November.

In 2015, EVA Air announced an order for 29 787-10 airplanes, as well as leases for four 787-9s and two 787-10s airplanes. At the time, it was the biggest single purchase by a Taiwanese airline.

The 787-9s is the longest-range airplane of the current Boeing Dreamliner fleet, and can fly 290 passengers up to 7,635 nautical miles (14,140 km).

Due to the 787’s lightweight construction, the operation costs of the airplane are reduced by 10 percent, when compared to competitor airplanes, Boeing said in a statement.

EVA Air’s new 787-9s will include business class seats designed by BMW’s Designworks, who were given the brief to compete with the most progressive designs, according to BMW.


EVA Air 787-9s business class (Image from BMW Group)

The new seat design moves away from traditional designs, and focuses on comfort, user-friendly design, and streamlined stowage.

The business class seats are 23 inches (58.42 cm) wide and can lie fully-flat.

EVA Air 787-9s business class seat (Image from BMW Group)

Wool carpet, leather, and custom textiles are used to give the business class a feeling of “luxury,” and the design was color-coded to match the uniform of EVA Air staff.

EVA Air teamed up with U.S. design consultancy Teague to design the economy class seats, which are produced by Recaro.

"This milestone delivery marks the beginning of a new era for EVA Air as we continue to revolutionize Taiwan's dynamic commercial aviation industry," said Steve Lin (林寶水), Chairman of EVA Air.

Boeing is expected to deliver the other three 787-9s in early 2019, and delivery of two 787-10s will take place by mid-2021, according to Flight Global.


EVA Air's new 787-9s (Image from Boeing)