EVA AIr expands fleet: B777-300

Taiwan’s leading independent airline, EVA Air, has continued the expansion of its long-haul fleet with the delivery of two more Boeing 777 aircraft. Setting new standards in aviation, the Taiwanese carrier’s 16th and 17th B777-300ER aircraft were added to the fleet on May 21, and are the first in the world to be equipped with Panasonic’s latest generation eX3 inflight entertainment system and Global Communication Suite (GCS).

A testament to its reputation for innovation and service, EVA Air’s new inflight system and Sky Wi-Fi access enables passengers to stay connected via their mobile phones, tablets or laptops. Those flying at an altitude of 20,000 feet or higher can make mobile phone calls, send and receive SMS messages and emails, use instant messaging applications and connect to social media channels from the comfort of their own seats. The innovative entertainment system is available on the new B777-300ERs for trans-Pacific flights to North America.

The Taiwanese airline has further enhanced its inflight experience by upgrading individual entertainment systems across all three cabin classes. New updates include enlarged seat-back screens and the introduction of high-definition monitors and multi-touch technology. In Economy and Elite classes, screen sizes have increased from 9 to 11.1 inches. At the same time, EVA Air has expanded its Royal Laurel business class screens to 16 inches and introduced remote control handsets with 4.1-inch video displays that allow passengers to play games and watch movies at the same time.

With EVA Air’s all-new eX3 inflight entertainment system, passengers can enjoy high-quality audio and video entertainment in every seat throughout the aircraft. What’s more, instead of the typical tap operating method, passengers can browse recently-released movies and games using slide and touch techniques similar to the multi-touch technology capabilities on iPads and other popular tablets.

Later this year, EVA Air will strengthen the system by introducing electronic menus for meals, beverages and duty-free shopping – allowing passengers to purchase items from the inflight boutique at any time during their flight.

“Our new Boeing 777-300ERs allow us to initiate significant changes in the flying experience we offer passengers around the world,” said EVA Air’s chairman, K.W. Chang. “We will continue to modernise our world-class fleet with new and innovative technologies to make flying more comfortable and enjoyable than ever before.”

EVA Air configured its new Boeing 777-300ERs with 333 seats in a three-class layout: 39 in Royal Laurel business class, 56 in Elite premium economy and 238 in Economy. Delivery of these two aircraft brings EVA Air’s total fleet size to 66 aircraft. By the end of 2015, the carrier will have five more of the jets in service. A further 16 A321-200s are due to be introduced by the end of 2016. Once all the new aircraft are delivered and older models are retired, EVA Air’s fleet will include more than 70 planes serving a network of destinations across Asia, Oceania, Europe and North America.