TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- EVA Airlines is currently dealing with a flight attendants union strike which has resulted in canceled flights, inconveniencing thousands of customers since the strike was officially announced on Thursday (June 20).
However, a bit of good news arrived on Friday when the airline received delivery of its first Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner, which is set to become the new flagship of the airline, once disputes with the flight attendants union are solved.
The 787-10 Dreamliner is the first of 20 set to be delivered to the airline this year for use primarily on high-traffic routes in East Asia. The planes can seat 342 passengers, which is 38 more than the four 787-9 Dreamliner planes that are currently part of the EVA fleet.
Steve Lin, Chairman of EVA Air, is quoted by ETurbo News on the new Dreamliners, which are joining EVA Airlines during the company’s 30th year of operations.
"The 787 Dreamliner has become the flagship of our fleet and we will leverage the airplane’s unrivaled fuel efficiency, reliability and size to operate high-density markets in Asia. The 787-10 offers around 15 percent more cabin space and cargo capacity compared to our existing 787-9s and this added capability will allow us to explore new opportunities for future growth in the emerging markets within Asia-Pacific.”
According to reports, the Dreamliner 787-10 is 25 percent more fuel efficient than previous models of the Dreamliner class and comparable classes of other commercial aircraft manufacturers.
The other 19 aircraft are expected to be delivered by the end of July. The new Dreamliners will be put to use this year serving routes from Taipei to locations such as Bangkok, Hong Kong, Nagoya, Osaka, Tokyo and other popular routes in Asia.
