EVA Air was founded in March 1989 by the Evergreen Group, the Taiwanese shipping company led by Chang Yung-fa. It was Taiwan's first privately owned international airline. Its first paying flight took off in July 1991. The name is short for Evergreen Airways. From the start, EVA set itself apart with safety and fresh ideas. In 1991 it launched the industry's first premium economy cabin, called Evergreen Deluxe Class.
Western airlines copied it years later. The airline grew quickly across Asia and the Pacific. It built Taipei Taoyuan into a transfer point for flights across the Pacific, competing with China Airlines, Taiwan's flag carrier. EVA also became world famous for its Hello Kitty jets, launched in 2005 with Sanrio. The themed paint, meals, and boarding passes turned those flights into collector events.
EVA joined Star Alliance in June 2013, adding a Taiwan base to the group. It is one of the few airlines with a Skytrax five-star rating. EVA has never had a fatal crash or lost an aircraft in over three decades. That record puts it among the world's safest. Its cargo arm draws on Evergreen's shipping empire and flies freight over the Pacific. EVA serves about 65 destinations.