EVA Air

EVA Airways Corporation is a Taiwanese airline based at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport near Taipei, Taiwan, operating passenger and dedicated cargo services to international destinations in Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and North America. An affiliate of shipping conglomerate Evergreen Group, EVA Air is the largest privately owned Taiwanese airline. Its headquarters are located in Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Since its founding in 1989, EVA Air has expanded to include air cargo, airline catering, ground handling, aviation engineering, and tour package services. Its cargo arm, EVA Air Cargo, links with the Evergreen worldwide shipping network on sea and land. Its domestic and regional subsidiary, UNI Airways, operates an extensive intra-Taiwanese shorthaul network. Its main international rival is China Airlines.
EVA Air was one of the first carriers to introduce the premium economy class, which it debuted in 1991. EVA was also the first Taiwanese airline to be accredited by the IATA with the IOSA (IATA Operations Safety Audit) for its safety practices and is ranked as one of the world's safest airlines by AERO International, a German aviation magazine. The official pronunciation of the airline's name is E-V-A Air(ways). The airline's slogan is "Just relax, your home in the air."

History

The launch of EVA Air
In September 1988, during the 20th anniversary celebration of Evergreen Marine Corporation’s founding, company chairman Chang Yung-fa announced his company’s intentions to establish Taiwan’s first private international airline. The opportunity to create a major Taiwanese airline had just arisen following a decision by the Taiwanese government to liberalize the country’s air transportation system. However, the Taiwanese government required international experience and substantial financial backing for any company seeking permission for international airline service from Taiwan. Originally to be called Evergreen Airways (but with the Evergreen International designation already taken), EVA Airways Corporation was formally established in March 1989. The new airline placed a US$3.6 billion order for 26 aircraft from Boeing and McDonnell Douglas, including Boeing 747-400 and MD-11 airliners.
Operations began on July 1, 1991 with a small fleet of Boeing 767-300ER aircraft featuring Business and Economy Class seating. Initial destinations from Taipei were Bangkok, Seoul, Jakarta, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur. First year revenues reached $40 million.
In 1992, EVA Air launched its first premium economy class, Economy Deluxe (later "Evergreen Deluxe") on its Boeing 747-400 transpacific flights to Los Angeles. Flights to Seattle, New York, Bangkok and Vienna with the B747-400 soon followed. Featuring a 2-4-2 abreast configuration, wider seats with extendable legrests, more legroom, individual seatback video monitors, and enhanced meal services, EVA’s Evergreen Deluxe proved popular with the traveling public.
Established as the airline for the local people, EVA Air differentiated its onboard service by using the order of "Taiwanese (Min Nan)–Mandarin–Hakka–English/foreign languages" for its cabin announcements on every flight. This was aimed at attracting elderly Taiwanese passengers who have difficulty speaking Mandarin. However, EVA Air has since switched the order of Min Nan and Mandarin. EVA Air also used Taiwanese folk songs in its boarding music, most notably an orchestral form of "Longing for Spring Wind," adding a sentimental touch to passengers' journeys. (This practice continues today as part of a wider repertoire of songs performed by the Evergreen Symphonic Orchestra during boarding and disembarkation.)
By 1994, EVA was providing regular service to 22 destinations worldwide, and carrying over 3 million passengers annually. In 1995, EVA posted its first profit on revenues of $1.05 billion. Internationally, EVA Air's rapid expansion and success was boosted by its strong safety record, in contrast to its primary competitor, China Airlines. In addition to receiving IOSA (IATA Operations Safety Audit) certification, EVA Air in 1997 became the only Taiwanese airline to achieve simultaneous official ISO 9002 certification in the areas of Passenger, Cargo, and Maintenance Services.

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