TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — EVA Air on Thursday reported record first-quarter earnings and its second-highest quarterly profit ever, driven by strong travel demand and booming AI-related cargo shipments.
EVA Air and its consolidated subsidiaries reported first-quarter revenue of NT$60.51 billion (US$1.92 billion), up 10.1% year-on-year, per CNA. Net profit reached NT$8.86 billion, while net profit attributable to the parent company totaled NT$8.26 billion, resulting in earnings per share of NT$1.53.
Passenger revenue in the first quarter totaled NT$40.29 billion, up 10.7% from a year earlier, according to CNA. Cargo revenue reached NT$13.24 billion, an increase of 4.1% year-on-year.
The airline said passenger demand was boosted by the Lunar New Year, winter vacation, and spring travel demand, particularly on North American and Southeast Asian routes. Demand for European flights also increased amid the Iran War.
Routes to Northeast Asia saw higher fares and passenger volumes due to baseball events and the cherry blossom season. Flights to Hong Kong, Macau, and China also maintained strong demand.
EVA Air said the average load factor across all routes reached 84.1% in the first quarter, CNA rerported. Passenger numbers rose 10.1% year-on-year, while passenger yield increased 0.9%.
The airline said cargo demand remained strong due to continued demand for AI servers and semiconductors, lifting both shipment volumes and freight rates. Cargo capacity in the first three months of the year increased 5.7% year-on-year, while cargo volume rose 2% and cargo yield increased 0.9%.
