TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — EVA Air President Clay Sun (孫嘉明) on Saturday announced the airline's new Dallas, Texas, route and expressed optimism that increased flights to North America, Europe, and Asia will lead to 2026 revenue growth, per CNA.

Sun said a recent wave of Taiwanese investment in the US spurred EVA to expand service, with Dallas becoming the ninth North American destination. Sun said this region accounts for 40% of revenue and will increase as seasonal flights are planned for Seattle next year, and new destinations like Washington, D.C., Boston, and Atlanta are being evaluated.

Assuming the smooth delivery of two new Boeing 787-9 aircraft next year, Sun anticipates EVA will operate more than 100 North American flights per week.

EVA is also expanding its European network with a Taoyuan-Milan route, increasing from four weekly flights to daily flights, resulting in 35 European flights per week. Sun said destinations such as Spain are still under evaluation.

In Asia, EVA will launch daily flights from Taoyuan-Busan on Oct. 21. While passenger load remains disappointing on Hong Kong and Macau routes due to declining demand and fierce competition, EVA still expects growth when compared to last year.

As for cargo revenue, Sun said it accounts for 20% of EVA's total revenue. The airline currently operates nine cargo planes and has contracted with Israel Aerospace Industries to convert three Boeing 777-300ER passenger aircraft into cargo aircraft in 2025, though geopolitical and supply chain issues delayed the project.

"This is not necessarily a bad thing, as passenger demand is still increasing, allowing us to be flexible in our use of aircraft," said Sun.

Sun said demand for AI servers continues to drive Taiwan's cargo volume. And despite the increase in US tariffs, Su expects continued growth in cargo volume from Southeast Asia to the US, as he said freight prices will not fall and may even see slight growth.

Finally, Sun said EVA annually increases employees' fixed salary, with cumulative increases exceeding 10% since the pandemic, as he expects year-end bonuses to increase. The only challenges Sun anticipates are a shortage of spare parts and higher fuel costs in the second half of the year.