EVA Air (BR, Taipei Taoyuan) will purchase eighteen A350-1000s and fifteen A321-200neo type aircraft directly from Airbus, November 7, 2023, stock exchange filings have shown. The Taiwanese airline is also extending the leases on existing A321-200s.
The filing notes that the purchase price of each A350-1000 will not exceed USD436 million, and the purchase price of each A321neo will not exceed USD150 million. EVA will use the widebodies to update its long-haul fleet while the A321neo will deploy onto routes in North Asia. An Airbus spokesperson told ch-aviation the parties were working towards finalising the contract. "Further details will be available at that time," the spokesperson said.
According to ch-aviation fleets data, EVA Air's widebody fleet currently comprises thirty-two B777-300ERs with an average age of 10.7 years, three A330-200s with an average age of 18 years, nine A330-300s with an average age of 8.7 years, nine B787-10s with an average age of 2.9 years, and four B787-9s with an average age of 4.9 years. The airline also has four undelivered B787-10s and nine B787-9s still on order. The Boeing widebodies are progressively replacing the A330 types, while the freshly ordered A350-1000s are flagged to start replacing the B777-300(ER)s.
EVA Air's existing narrowbody fleet comprises nineteen A321-200s with an average age of 8.5 years, one ACJ318-100 aged 14.6 years, and one ACJ319-100 aged ten years.
Separately, EVA Air also announced a lease extension for twelve A321-200s on November 8. BOC Aviation has supplied the aircraft which are:
- B-16215 (msn 6488);
- B-16216 (msn 6545);
- B-16217 (msn 6585);
- B-16218 (msn 6653);
- B-16219 (msn 6707);
- B-16220 (msn 6747);
- B-16221 (msn 6935);
- B-16222 (msn 6999);
- B-16223 (msn 7054);
- B-16225 (msn 7101);
- B-16226 (msn 7317); and
- B-16227 (msn 7344).
Ahead of the extension, six aircraft were due to return to lessor in 2025 and the remainder in 2026. The filing did not state how long the lease extension was for. However, ch-aviation has contacted EVA Air for further details.