Boeing and EVA Air
is celebrating delivery of the airline's first Boeing
777-300ER (Extended Range) airplane. EVA Air's special livery was
also unveiled at the ceremony which was attended by airline
Chairman Steve Lin and President K.W. Chang and Boeing Commercial
Airplanes Vice President - Sales Larry Dickenson.
"EVA Air and Boeing have a great working-together relationship
that spans 16 years," said Dickenson. "EVA exhibits a visionary
perspective of the market with this important delivery. The
capabilities, efficiency, economics and passenger comfort of the
777-300ER will clearly keep EVA at the forefront of the world's
airlines."
The airplane is the first of 15 Boeing 777s that EVA Air will
receive through 2009. "The new Boeing 777-300ER equipment will
fully upgrade our service quality," said Steve Lin. "With the most
spacious passenger cabin ever developed, the aircraft will provide
an even more spacious Premium Laurel cabin. We will also introduce
a new ‘Elite Class' and upgraded Economy Class with the
introduction of the new aircraft. I believe our passengers will
love the product enhancements we are making."
The 777-300ER is the first of two
new longer-range 777 models. It was launched in February 2000 along
with the 777-200LR (Longer Range) at the request of airlines
seeking additional flexibility to serve nonstop routes that
passengers demand.
The twin-engine EVA Air 777-300ER carries 316 passengers in a
three-class configuration and flies up to 7,705 nautical miles. The
airplane is capable of serving such routes as New York - Taipei and
Taipei - London.
"EVA Air has relied upon the quality service and safety of
Boeing aircraft powered by GE engines since we launched our first
flight in 1991," said K.W. Chang. "Our new 777s are the next
generation of air travel from these two great manufacturers. The
technological advances in these aircraft pave the way for a new era
of in-flight amenities."
The 777-300ER carries the world's most powerful commercial jet
engine, GE's GE90-115B. In service, the GE90-115B engines have
demonstrated superior reliability and extremely low fuel burn
during their first year in service with the 777-300ER.
The EVA Air 777-300ER is equipped with the Boeing Electronic
Flight Bag (EFB), the only fully integrated and certified Class 3
EFB in commercial service. Using hardware from Astronautics Corp.
of America and software from Boeing subsidiary Jeppesen, the EFB
replaces the large amount of paper crews now carry for flights,
placing all required data in digital format at the pilot's
fingertips.
Boeing has received orders for 114 777-300ERs from 11 customers.
Air France received the first 777-300ER in April 2004. The Boeing
777 family of airplanes is the world's most advanced and continues
to evolve with the recent addition of the world's longest-range
airliner, the 777-200LR Worldliner, and the Boeing 777 Freighter.
To date more than 37 airlines have placed orders for more than 690
777s, making it the most preferred airplane in its class.