EVA Air places order for 9 Airbus planes

Taipei, April 8 (CNA) EVA Airways (EVA Air), one of Taiwan's leading international carriers, has placed a firm order to purchase nine planes from Airbus, according to the European aircraft supplier.

In a statement, Airbus said Monday that the nine planes EVA Air will purchase are six long range A350-1000s and three single-aisle A321neo aircraft to fulfill the carrier's commitment made in March 2025.

Airbus said the new order will bring EVA Air's backlog of aircraft to be delivered to 24 A350-1000s and 18 A321neo aircraft.

"The new additions to our fleet reaffirm our commitment to sustainable aviation and delivering an exceptional travel experience," EVA Air President Clay Sun (孫嘉明) said in the statement.

"Both the A350-1000 and A321neo set a high standard in their respective categories, offering remarkable efficiency and comfort to our passengers," Sun said.

"As we move forward with our fleet and network expansion plans, we look forward to leveraging the aircraft's extended range and efficiency to strengthen our market position."

The plan to buy the nine Airbus aircraft for up to US$3.1 billion was approved by EVA Air's board at a meeting on March 12.

According to the carrier, the delivery of the six A350-1000s is scheduled to start in 2031, while the carrier will start to take delivery of the three A321neo in 2032.

EVA Air currently operates a fleet of 85 planes.

The airline currently has eight Boeing 787-9s and five Boeing 787-10s on order, with delivery expected to be completed by 2029, while the delivery of 18 A350-1000s and 15 A321neos already on order will begin in 2027 and 2029, respectively.

The airline business has benefited from a growing tourism market in the post COVID-19 era.

In 2024, EVA Air posted a record net profit of NT$30.4 billion (US$92.12 million), up 31.6 percent from a year earlier, with earnings per share of NT$5.37, compared with NT$4.01 the previous year.

The number of passengers EVA Air served hit 13.16 million in 2024, up 16.8 percent from a year earlier, with the average load factor -- an industry metric for measuring the percentage of passenger capacity used -- hitting 82.6 percent.