EVA Airways finalized its order of 26 airliners on Tuesday with U.S. manufacturer Boeing.
The order consists of 24 Boeing 787 Dreamliners and two Boeing 777-300ER airliners.
Civil Aeronautics director Lin Chih-ming gave a speech during the signing ceremony. He said Boeing 787’s superior fuel efficiency would help EVA gain an extra 20% competitive edge, and the timely purchase would boost Taiwan’s economy.
“I think, in the next 20 years, the global air traffic will increase to as much as 200% of its current volume. Especially in Asia, the growth is expected to be 300%," said Lin. "The fact that EVA Air is expanding its air fleet will be a great boost to Taiwan’s economy and the air travel industry.”
The Boeing 787 is built largely with carbon fiber composite. It is significantly lighter than traditional aluminum alloy, and less prone to corrosion and metal fatigue. The model features advanced energy saving technologies, giving it a 20% smaller carbon footprint than previous models.
EVA Air will receive all 787 models between 2017 and 2020. They will serve as mid and long-range airliners and EVA will retire the older models.