Taiwanese carrier aims to save fuel by opting for twin-engined Boeing transport
EVA Air is considering placing an order for 10 Boeing 777 Freighters, which would establish it as the second buyer for the type following Air France’s decision to place a launch order for five last month.
The order would be “in addition” to existing orders EVA has placed for 12 777-300ER and three 777-200LR passenger aircraft, says the Taiwanese carrier. Its first 777-300ER emerged from Boeing’s Seattle factory late last month.
“The 777F has only two engines and with jet fuel prices sky high at the moment, we realise an aircraft with two engines [as opposed to four] will save us a lot of fuel,” says the airline.
EVA says it is thinking about replacing its Boeing MD-11Fs – which are about 10 years old – with 777-200LR-based freighters from around 2009. They would be operated on long-haul routes to Europe and the USA, it says. EVA also operates 747-400 freighters.
Meanwhile, Airbus and Boeing have approached EVA subsidiary UNI Air about possible replacements for the airline’s fleet of Boeing MD-90s.
UNI is interested in Airbus A320-family aircraft or Boeing 737-800s but is in no hurry to decide because the MD-90s are “still pretty new”. UNI’s 13 MD-90-30s were built between 1996 and 1998.
LEITHEN FRANCIS/SINGAPORE
Source: Flight International
