VIENNA—Taiwan's EVA Air reports strong demand on its European network and says that the cost of operating these routes has become more competitive.

Like its local rival China Airlines, EVA has not been allowed to take the most direct route—over mainland China—from Taiwan to Europe.

But EVA now sees itself on more of an equal footing with some of its competitors. Following the closure of Russian airspace to many international carriers following Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, more airlines are having to calculate longer flying times in their budgets when flying to East Asia.

“For a long time, European routes were very difficult to manage economically, also due to the expensive overflight fees over so many nations along the route,” EVA’s general manager for Austria and Central and Eastern Europe, Edward Ho, tells Aviation Daily in Vienna.

EVA and China Airlines have had to deal with the impact of tensions between China and Taiwan for many years, which have seen both prohibited from overflying China on routes between Europe and Taiwan. Other airlines, which are exempt from the restrictions, have been able to operate over mainland China to Taipei giving them shorter flight times.

Before Russian airspace was closed, EVA operated northern and southern routes to the West, choosing to fly via Siberia during the winter and over Thailand, India and Turkey at other times. “Because of less headwind, all flights operate via the southern route,” like the majority of EVA’s competitors, Ho adds.

Before COVID, European routes accounted for 10% of EVA’s business. Now it is 15%, Ho says. These routes became profitable after COVID because of the high volume of cargo. “We can transport 15 to 18 tons per flight,” Ho notes.

He says EVA has reported record load factors on its European flights. “Vienna is our hub for Europe. We see load factors an all flights of 88-92%,” Ho adds.

Vienna became EVA's first intercontinental destination more than 30 years ago. The Star Alliance member offers three weekly Vienna-Taipei Boeing 787-9 nonstop services, as well four weekly Vienna-Bangkok-Taipei flights operated by 787-10s. “My idea is, which I will discuss with my head office in Taipei, is . . . to operate daily nonstop services to Taipei, plus four to five weekly services via Bangkok,” Ho reveals.

The carrier, which last year launched services to Munich and Milan Malpensa from its hub at Taipei Taoyuan, also operates to Paris Charles de Gaulle, London Heathrow and Amsterdam. “In total, we have 32 weekly services to Europe,” Ho says, adding that no other new destinations in Europe are planned for now.

On March 31, EVA ordered five additional Boeing 787-9s with deliveries due over 2025-27. The new 787-9s work on long-haul routes to Europe and North America. This latest order will increase the number of 787s in EVA’s fleet to 13 -9s and 13 -10s.

An additional four 787-9s, seven -10s and one 777F from previous orders are scheduled to be delivered before 2025.

Starting in mid-2024, EVA plans to update and reconfigure its 787-9s to add its premium-economy seats, giving the aircraft a three-class configuration. This is currently only offered on 777s.

EVA operates a fleet of 77 passenger and eight cargo aircraft.