Following the launch of its newest route to Dallas/Fort Worth on Oct. 3, EVA Air is gearing up for more growth in the U.S. The Taiwanese airline currently offers passenger service to seven U.S. cities.
In addition to its recently launched Dallas/Fort Worth service, EVA flies to Houston, San Francisco, Chicago O’Hare, New York-JFK, Los Angeles, and Seattle. But more markets could be on the way.
Andrew Su, EVA’s North America Head Office executive vice president, told AirlineGeeks on the sidelines of the carrier’s Dallas/Fort Worth inaugural flight festivities that more options are on the table, especially as competition between Taiwan and the U.S. heats up.
“We already have very extensive service from the West Coast,” Su said. “We have 33 [flights] from Los Angeles and San Francisco, and 10 weekly from Seattle. And the rest of the gateways, we have daily service.”
In recent months, Phoenix has turned into a hotbed for U.S.-Taiwan service, with EVA rivals China Airlines and Starlux announcing new service. EVA has yet to announce service to the Arizona capital.
“I have to admit the competition is there, especially since we have three major carriers in Taiwan,” Su added in response to a question about growth in Phoenix. “But we have already run the business in North America for more than 30 years, so we are the leader.”
Unlike its competitors, EVA’s U.S. growth ambitions may be farther east, Su hinted.
“Now we are looking forward to a little bit to the East Coast,” he said.
Su’s comments come less than a month after Taipei’s Taoyuan International Airport Corporation and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority – which operates Washington Dulles – inked a new partnership to promote nonstop service between Taiwan and Washington, D.C. Currently, there are no regular flights between the two cities.
Why Dallas/Fort Worth?
Most of EVA’s passenger destinations in the United States are Star Alliance hubs. Dallas/Fort Worth bucks this trend, being a oneworld stronghold.
Su said the airline has been looking to add passenger flights to Dallas/Fort Worth “for a long time,” noting the region’s continued population growth.
“And you’ve got a lot of leading industry here in Dallas,” he added. “So I think it’s the right time for us to come to this market.”
EVA has operated cargo flights to Dallas/Fort Worth for several years. It is also the airline’s second destination in Texas after Houston.
Expansion is already planned on the Taipei-to-Dallas/Fort Worth route, too. After launching earlier this month with three times weekly service, the route will increase to five times weekly on Nov. 18.
Starting on Dec. 15, the new route will become a daily service.
