EVA Air has become the latest Asian airline to recognise the commercial and tourism potential of India with the commencement of a tri-weekly service from Taipei to Mumbai.
The Taipei-based carrier began its three class 747 service Taipei/Mumbai last month. The flight leaves the Taiwanese capital at 2330 on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays and arrives in the Indian film capital at 0415 +1.
EVA Air is currently operating two class Airbus flights to Taipei on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays ex Brisbane. However, Mumbai bound passengers can only book the Thursday and Saturday flights to take advance of a night’s free stopover accommodation in Taipei and a free half day tour of Taipei courtesy of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau.
“The commencement of EVA Air flights to Mumbai is not yet widely known in the
Australian marketplace although we are offering extremely competitive fares,” said a Sydney-based company spokesperson.
Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra are common rated with QANTAS providing the connecting flights from these centres to Brisbane with EVA Air taking over for the journey to Taipei and then Mumbai.
Sydney is currently off-line but this situation could change later in the year as more B777s are inducted into the EVA Air fleet.
“EVA Air was the launch customer of the new Boeing wide body aircraft. We have ordered 13 B777-300 and two B777-200 extended range aircraft,” the spokesperson said.
Three aircraft have already joined the fleet with two deployed on the Taipei-Bangkok-London route and a third serving Los Angeles, he added.
The last of the B777 aircraft will come on line by the end of 2008. EVA Air’s new aircraft will be used for fleet replacement, frequency increase and route expansion hence the possibility that Sydney will be back on line before the end of the year.
Exclusive Report by Thomas E. King, TravelMole’s Travel & Lifestyle Correspondent
