Taiwanese carrier Eva Air appears set to begin flying its new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft on two of its routes to Japan this December, bringing with it a new fully flat seat product for passengers travelling in its Royal Laurel Class cabin.
The new aircraft, which Eva Air took delivery of earlier this month, is due to debut on the airline’s services to Hong Kong from the beginning of November.
But once the airline receives its second Dreamliner, its services to Tokyo (Narita) and Osaka will similarly be getting the new aircraft and business class seat products, starting December 1 this year.
Only one of the airline’s four daily services to Osaka (BR132/BR131) and one of its two daily flights to Tokyo Narita (BR198/BR197) will see the aircraft, however, and flights are currently scheduled to be operated by the Dreamliner only until March 30, 2019. At this stage it is unclear whether the aircraft will continue to be deployed on these routes or shifted elsewhere on its network after the end of the winter season.
Below are the schedules for the two daily Dreamliner services:
| Flight No. | From | To | Departs | Arrives | Days |
| BR198 | Taipei (TPE) | Tokyo (NRT) | 0850 | 1255 | Daily |
| BR197 | Tokyo (NRT) | Taipei (TPE) | 1400 | 1705 | Daily |
| BR132 | Taipei (TPE) | Osaka (KIX) | 0830 | 1155 | Daily |
| BR131 | Osaka (KIX) | Taipei (TPE) | 1255 | 1505 | Daily |
Eva Air’s new seat products have been developed by manufacturer Designworks, part of the BMW Group, and are laid out in a staggered forward-facing 1-2-1 configuration within its Royal Laurel Class cabin, what the airline calls its business class offering. This gives all 26 passengers in the cabin unhindered access to the aisle.
Seats are notably able to recline to offer a fully flat bed – uncommon for regional flights – that extends 76 inches (193cm) in length and 23 inches (58.4cm) in width. Passengers also get an 18-inch high-definition touchscreen monitor as well as built-in storage cabinets, adjustable privacy panels, extra-large foldout tables, and power and USB ports.
Eva Air is expected to take delivery of its first 787-10 Dreamliner – a larger version of the -9 model – in the second quarter of 2019, with its full fleet of 24 Dreamliners expected to be operational by 2022.
