EVA Air, Taiwan’s first privately owned international airline, is rolling out a new Premium Economy seat onboard its Boeing 787 Dreamliners. This is the fourth generation of the carrier’s Premium Economy product. EVA Air was the first airline to introduce Premium Economy, then branded as Evergreen Deluxe Class, in 1992.
EVA Air Installs New Premium Economy Seats on its Boeing 787-9s
According to the airline, the new Premium Economy seats are transitioning the product from an “upgraded economy” standard to a “business-class-like” experience. The new seats will be arranged un a 2-3-2 layout on the 787, featuring 28 seats in total and have an industry leading, 42″ of pitch.
Each Premium Economy seat is also equipped with an industry leading 15.6-inch high-definition screen and multi-function entertainment system controller. The tray table includes a stand for personal devices should you want to watch your own programming, and the seats are fitted with 110V and USB power outlets.
These new seats look pretty swanky and I know solo travelers will appreciate the privacy panels on the headrests, though they appear on the small side. At first glance, they look a lot like the new First Class seats Delta is installing on its narrowbody aircraft, though Delta’s have more privacy.
EVA Air President, Clay Sun, had this to say about the new seats:
“As the world’s first airline to launch Premium Economy Class, EVA Air has consistently focused on innovation driven by passenger needs and setting industry trends. The fourth-generation seats retain the core philosophy of previous generations while enhancing comfort, fashion, and functionality, showcasing our commitment to service innovation and attention to detail.”
The first aircraft with the new seats, B-17887, has been delivered to the airline but has not yet been placed into service. Eight more Boeing 787-9s are expected to follow in the three-class layout.
Eva Air plans to initially deploy the new aircraft on flights between its hub at Taipei-Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and Jakarta (CGK). As more aircraft enter into service, EVA Air plans to expand this offering on flights between Taipei and Munich (MUC), Milan (MXP), Vienna (VIE), and on the early flight (BR8/BR7) to San Francisco (SFO).
Are Other Aircraft Getting These Seats?
Aside from the eight remaining 787-9s, EVA Air has quite a few aircraft still on order. The carrier has two 787-10s that will be delivered in a two-class layout and therefore won’t get the new seats.
EVA Air also has 18 Airbus A350-100 aircraft scheduled for delivery beginning in 2027. There’s no word on whether the airline plans to install the new Premium Economy seats on those aircraft but I would have to assume they will get the new seats.
There is also no word on whether or not the carrier plans to retrofit any of their existing aircraft with the new product.
Summary
EVA Air is introducing its latest, fourth generation, Premium Economy seat on its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. EVA Air was the first airline to introduce the idea of a service class between Business and Economy, rolling out its Evergreen Deluxe Class back in 1992. These seats look comfortable and I wouldn’t mind trying it out on a shorter or daytime flight.
(Images courtesy EVA Air and Lorenz von Schimonsky, you can find more of his work on Instagram at @abia.spotter)
I had highly regards to EVA AIRLINES . I used this airline whenever i go to Asia . Clean , stewardess and steward are nice and polite . The business class is superb .
I highly recommend EVA AIR TO MY friends and family .