Chair KW Chang captains first flight on new nonstop route
Houston, TX - EVA Air Chairman KW Chang served as captain in charge of the inaugural Taipei- Houston flight for a brand-new specially painted Boeing 777-300ER today. The airline tailored its new plane for Texas and named it the EVA Air Hello Kitty Shining Star Jet. With just one easy stop in Taipei, Houston passengers can now connect on to almost every business and leisure destination in Asia, including Mainland China. Travelers can book and buy tickets through travel agents, EVA ticket offices and online at evaair.com.
“The Asian community in Houston is growing at a faster rate than any other demographic group in the city,” said Houston Mayor Annise Parker. “That’s just one of the many reasons why it’s imperative that we establish and maintain strong air service throughout the Asian region. The arrival of EVA Airways is a tremendous step forward in meeting that vital goal.”
With its excellent services, top safety rankings, exceptional route system and co-share alliances, EVA gives travelers from Houston and the Southwest comfortable options for travel worldwide. From North America gateways that include Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto and Vancouver in addition to Houston, EVA operates more flights from North America with one-stop connections to more destinations throughout Asia than any other airline. Houston passengers can connect onward from Taipei via 86 flights to 10 cities in Southeast Asia, including Singapore, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Phnom Penh, Jakarta, Surabaya and Denpasar. With subsidiary UNI Air, EVA operates an additional 131 weekly flights to 29 destinations in Mainland China and also flies to Guam, Korea, 10 major cities in Japan and more. It also makes flying more than just transportation.
“I initiated our Hello Kitty Jet concept to make flying fun. Travelers’ responses in Asia, Europe and the United States tell us we are succeeding,” said EVA Air Chairman KW Chang. “The support we have received from the City of Houston, Houston Airport Systems and Texas makes us feel welcome. By flying our latest Hello Kitty Jet and offering convenient one-stop connections to cities throughout Asia, we believe our new service will be a Texas-sized success.”
EVA worked with Sanrio to tailor a Hello Kitty Shining Star Jet livery and theme especially for Houston. The cast of colorful, Texas-sized characters painted along the length of the plane includes Little Twin Stars Kiki and Lala, flying through the skies with their pet teddy bear while Hello Kitty and My Melody happily ride along on stars. Each of EVA’s exclusive Hello Kitty Jets has its own unique livery and theme. The new EVA Hello Kitty Shining Star Jet is the airline’s seventh specially painted aircraft and its second using a long-range Boeing 777-300ER. It currently flies its other six Hello Kitty Jets from Taiwan to Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Mainland China, Guam and Paris.
“EVA Airways not only brings Houston passengers nonstop access to the Taiwan market but they also bring a fresh and vibrant business approach,” said Houston Aviation Director Mario C. Diaz. “This is evident from the moment the inaugural flight touches down and Houston passengers are introduced to a ‘Hello Kitty’ welcome. I’m confident that our customers will respond extremely well to both the route and the fun atmosphere.”
EVA is launching its passenger route between Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental and Taipei’s Taoyuan International Airports with three flights a week and adding a fourth, using a Boeing 777-300ER with standard EVA livery, on July 8, 2015.
| Flight No. | Route | Departure | Arrival | Frequency |
| BR52 | TPE - IAH | 10 p.m. | 11:25 p.m. | 3/week increased to 4/week July 1, 2015 |
| BR51 | IAH - TPE | 1:15 a.m. | 5:55 a.m.+1 | 3/week increased to 4/week July 1, 2015 |
EVA is extending its Houston Hello Kitty Jet service by also flying the new aircraft between Taipei and Singapore, starting June 21, 2015. Singapore-bound BR215 departs Taipei at 09:25 a.m. and BR216 returns at 3:10 pm (15:10). Consistent with the Houston schedule, EVA operates Hello Kitty Jet service to Singapore on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday and will up the schedule to four flights a week, starting July 1, 2015.
The airline equipped the plane with all of the latest comforts and conveniences, including inflight Wi-Fi, global roaming and state-of-the-art entertainment systems in every seat. It configured the aircraft with 333 seats, 39 in Royal Laurel Class business, 56 in Elite premium economy and 238 in Economy.
About EVA Air
EVA Air, a Star Alliance member, was formed in 1989 as Taiwan's first privately owned international airline. It is part of the respected Evergreen Group and a sister company to global container-shipping leader Evergreen Line. It flies a fleet of close to 70 Boeing and Airbus aircraft to more than 60 international destinations throughout Asia, Oceania, Europe and North America. With just one easy stop in Taipei, travelers can connect onward to most major cities throughout Asia, including more than 29 destinations in Mainland China. It has a solid reputation for warm, friendly service and a spotless safety record. AirlineRatings.com recognized EVA as a carrier of choice for 2015 among the “World’s Top-10 Airlines” and Germany’s AERO International Magazineranked it third among the world’s safest airlines.
About the Houston Airport System
Houston Airports served more than 53 million passengers in 2014. Houston’s three airports — George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), William P. Hobby (HOU) and Ellington Airport (EFD) — contribute more than $27.5 billion to the regional economy. IAH and HOU collectively provide nonstop flights to nearly 200 destinations worldwide. For more information, visit fly2houston.com. Get social with Houston Airports by following us on Twitter @IAH and @HobbyAirport.