EVA Airways to launch flights to North America

Oct. 30, 2009 (China Knowledge) - EVA Airways Corp, the second-largest airline in Taiwan, has teamed up with the Shanghai municipal government to launch flights linking the city and North America before the opening of the Expo 2010 Shanghai, Dow Jones Newswire reported on Thursday, citing EVA Executive Vice-president K.W. Nieh as saying.

The carrier aims to expand its market share in North America and promote the tourism industry across the Taiwan Strait, said Nieh, adding the demand for nonstop flights between mainland China and North America exceeds supply.  

The Shanghai Wolrd Expo 2010 is likely to attract 70 million visitors, with one out of ten from overseas. The company plans to work with Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration and travel agencies in North America, the Chinese mainland and Taiwan to launch trips from North America to China, and Taipei will be the hub, according to the report.

The company will see its passenger load factor next year rise by two to three percentage points, said EVA President James Jeng.

In the first nine months of the year, EVA's load factor dropped to 76.80% from 79.73% a year ago.