EVA Air has just ordered two new aircraft types, which we are very excited about.
EVA Air orders 33 Airbus aircraft to update fleet
Taiwan’s Star Alliance carrier EVA Air has ordered 33 Airbus aircraft, including 18 A350-1000s and 15 A321neos. The contract is worth $10.1 billion at list price, but airlines won’t pay anything close to list price.
The exact details of the order, including delivery dates and possible options, are not yet clear, but we expect to hear more in the near future. Here’s a look at these two aircraft:
- The Airbus A350-1000 is the largest variant of the A350. No other certified widebody aircraft offers such range, passenger capacity or economy.
- The Airbus A321neo is one of the most efficient narrowbody aircraft, offering excellent range and economy. This is an update to the previous generation version of this aircraft, the A321ceo.
How these aircraft will be integrated into EVA Air’s fleet
EVA Air currently has the following fleet of 77 jets, with 12 more on order (prior to this latest order).
- EVA Air has a fleet of 18 Airbus A321s, which are approximately nine years old on average.
- EVA Air has 12 Airbus A330 aircraft (-200 and -300), which are on average 11 years old.
- EVA Air has 13 Boeing 787s (-9 and -10), with an average age of three years, and 12 more on order.
- EVA Air has 34 Boeing 777-300ERs, which are on average 9 years old.
Let’s consider a few things here.
- Presumably EVA Air intends to use the A321neo primarily as a replacement for its existing A321s, but these planes are on average just under 10 years old, so they are still very modern.
- It stands to reason that the A350-1000 will become EVA Air’s new flagship aircraft, replacing the 777 on current routes to major destinations such as Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco.
- This is a big win for Airbus, given that EVA Air has previously used Boeing aircraft on all of its long-haul routes. Perhaps the 777X would have had a chance if it hadn’t been delayed for years, but given the range EVA Air needs (which the 787-10 can’t provide), the Airbus A350-1000 is actually the logical choice. Ta.
- The A350-1000 order only partially replaces the 777 order, so I imagine it’s aimed at replacing EVA Air’s first batch of 777s, which were initially delivered in 2008 and 2009 (the rest in 2014). (delivered after 2010)
- Although EVA Air has a very modern fleet, the aircraft most in need of replacement appears to be the A330, which is used on high-demand regional routes. Ordering the A330-900neo seems to make the most sense there, or perhaps EVA Air will just end up ordering more Boeing 787s (China Airlines is replacing regional A330s with 787s)
- I can’t wait to see what EVA Air brings to the A350.The airline already has one of the best business class products in the world, and I think the new product will represent a significant improvement.
![](https://cdn.onemileatatime.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/EVA-Air-777.jpg)
conclusion
EVA Air has ordered 33 Airbus jets, including 18 A350-1000s and 15 A321neos. Most likely, the company will use his A350-1000 as its new flagship aircraft to replace the old Boeing 777-300ER. On the other hand, I imagine EVA Air will use A321neos instead of the older A321s.
Although this order has been announced, the exact details are not yet clear and we will provide updates as more information becomes available.
What do you think about EVA Air’s Airbus order?