EVA Air's new Dreamliner aircraft to have new Royal Laurel Class business cabin by Designworks

TAIPEI, TAIWAN (XX September, 2018) – On October 2nd 2018, EVA Air, Taiwan's leading independent airline, will take delivery of its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner during a ceremony at Boeing South Carolina. Configured to cater for 304 passengers, 26 in Royal Laurel Class (Business Class) and 278 in Economy, the new aircraft will unveil the latest generation of Royal Laurel Class seats, which have been created in collaboration with Designworks, a BMW company.

Clay Sun, EVA Air President said: “The introduction of Boeing 787 Dreamliners is essential to our continuous pursuit of service excellence. We have adopted a more modern, globalised design concept and combined it with Boeing's latest aviation technologies to create a luxurious cabin environment and provide all our passengers with an even more comfortable flying experience.”

From luxury cars to a top-class airline cabin

Chosen by EVA Air to synchronise the airline's international brand image and the Dreamliner's unique craftsmanship, Designworks has created the latest generation of Royal Laurel Class seats. Stepping away from conventional aircraft design and using core concepts of space and brand, the design team has created tailor-made Business Class seats which seamlessly integrate into a bespoke cabin environment. The use of mature, muted colours aims to enhance the feeling of a comfortable, spacious environment.

At 23 inches wide, EVA Air's new Royal Laurel Class cabin seats recline into flat-bed positions that can reach up to 76 in. (193 cm) in length, enabling passengers to lie down, get comfortable and get much-needed quality sleep on long-haul flights.

Johannes Lampela, Design Director at Designworks' LA Studio said: “We wanted EVA Air's business class experience to be fresh and memorable for passengers and to make service, design and brand all work together. Our goal was to take a proven seat platform and make it unique to EVA Air. From privacy, service, interaction, stowage and amenities, we explored the holistic passenger experience.”

EVA Air has created more comfortable personal spaces by equipping its new Royal Laurel Class seats with adjustable privacy panels and generous built-in storage cabinets. The airline upgraded the In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) systems with 18 inch HD touchscreen monitors, the latest noise-cancelling headphones, extra-large fold-out tables for dining or work, auxiliary outlets and USB ports for recharging personal devices or accessing files from Media Player, Photo Viewer and PDF Reader.  With these features and the warm, friendly service it is known for, EVA Air offers passengers a cosy in-flight space where they can work and rest.

Technology and fashion meet economy

For the design of its Economy Class seats on the new 787 Dreamliners, EVA Air enlisted the expertise of Boeing Company's long-time working partner, Teague. Using a colour palette that complements the shades used in Royal Laurel Class, EVA Air and Teague have created a cabin that is exquisitely elegant.

For the Economy Class cabin, EVA Air has selected ergonomically-designed seats from RECARO, the well-known German Automotive Seating company. EVA Air has equipped these seats with sophisticated leather headrests that adjust as much as 6 inches from the top of the seatback to the highest position and added customised neck supports, that provide passengers with the flexibility to adjust the angle in six directions. The new aircraft also feature an upgraded IFE with 12 inch HD touchscreen monitors at every seat, giving passengers enhanced comfort and satisfying entertainment.

EVA Air expects to take delivery of three more of 787-9 aircrafts and its first Boeing 787-10 in the second quarter of next year. By 2022, EVA Air plans to be operating a total of 24 Boeing 787 Dreamliners. As soon as EVA Air takes delivery of its first Boeing 787-9, the airline will finalise the preparations for putting the plane in service and work with Taiwan's Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) to get it certified.

EVA Air expects the new Dreamliner will make its maiden flight by the end of October 2018. The airline will fly the Dreamliner on its Taipei – Hong Kong route until the second Dreamliner is ready to deploy, when it will be able to extend the plane's services to Japan. EVA will steadily expand Dreamliner service to further routes in its network as it adds more of the aircraft to its fleet.

###

About EVA Air:

EVA Air, a Star Alliance member, was formed in 1989 as Taiwan's leading independent airline. It is part of the respected Evergreen Group and a sister company to global container-shipping leader Evergreen Line. It flies to more than 60 international destinations throughout Asia, Oceania, North America and Europe where gateways include London, Paris, Amsterdam and Vienna. It operates daily nonstop flights from London Heathrow to Bangkok that continue to Taipei where passengers can easily connect on to every major city in Asia, including close to 30 gateways in Mainland China. It has a reputation for innovation, warm, friendly service and an impeccable safety record.

EVA Air launched the industry's first premium economy cabin in 1992. Named Elite Class, this cabin was voted Best Premium Economy in an annual SKYTRAX poll. SKYTRAX's annual World Airline Awards have rated EVA Air as one of the World's Top-10 Best Airlines and No. 1 for Cleanest Cabins multiple times, including in its 2017 awards. In 2017, EVA Air was presented with the award for Best Business Class Comfort Amenities by SKYTRAX.

Travellers can learn more about EVA and schedule, book and buy tickets at www.evaair.com.