EVA Air Holds Party to Celebrate 20th Anniversary of Its Maiden Flight

EVA Air held a party at the Chang Yung-Fa Foundation on July 1, 2011 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its maiden flight. The party was hosted by Evergreen Group Founder and Chairman Dr. Y.F. Chang. Among the honored guests were President of the Legislative Yuan Wang Jin-pyng, Minister of Transportation and Communications Mao Chi-kuo, Chairman of the Straits Exchange Foundation Chiang Pin-kung, Presidential Office Secretary-General Liao Liou-yi, and Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-pin. In total, some 600 people attended the party.

On September 1, 1988, at Evergreen Marine Corp.’s 20th anniversary party, Dr. Chang announced that he would expand the Evergreen Group with the formation of a commercial airline. His vision for EVA Air was a safe, reliable and high-quality carrier that would be the pride of the Taiwanese people. EVA Air’s early years were fraught with difficulties, but perseverance was rewarded when the maiden flight departed for Bangkok on July 1, 1991. Today, EVA Air is a leading international airline operating 56 passenger and cargo aircraft on routes to 60 destinations worldwide.

Attendees were treated to a celebratory video that recapped EVA Air’s major accomplishments. During his speech at the party, Dr. Chang said, “Due to Taiwan’s unique status at the time, I knew it would not be easy to develop an air network. EVA Air could not follow the same developmental path as Evergreen Marine Corp. However, even if EVA Air was not destined to become one of the world’s biggest airlines, I knew it could offer the highest standards of service and safety.”

Dr. Chang’s insistence on excellence resulted in EVA Air earning a variety of international accolades over the last two decades. Since 2004, it has been ranked numerous times by Germany’s Aero International magazine as one of the world’s top 10 safest airlines. And in 2010, it was voted among the world’s 10 best airlines by readers of US-based Travel + Leisure magazine. EVA Air would not have accomplished so much, Dr. Chang said, without the tireless efforts of its employees and partners and the support of its customers. The airline plans further expansion and to introduce innovative, new services in the future.