EVA Air will launch the first-ever nonstop flight from Dulles International Airport (IAD) to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) this summer.
Sun Chia-Ming, president of the Star Alliance carrier, on Monday told local press that EVA will begin four weekly flights from Taipei to the Washington, D.C. area in July.
The new TPE-IAD route will operate on an EVA Boeing 787-9 that features 26 lie-flat business class, 28 premium economy and 224 standard economy seats.
More: EVA Air brings premium economy to first Boeing 787 Dreamliners with all-new design
An EVA spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request to confirm Chia-Ming’s comments. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority that operates IAD also did not respond to a request for comment.
But as far back as 2024, EVA told TPG it had its eyes on Dulles as one of its future U.S. markets.
The new IAD flights come as air service between the U.S. and Taiwan booms. Since recovering to pre-pandemic levels in 2023, seats in the market have grown at a compound annual rate of 12.8%, schedule data from aviation analytics firm Cirium shows. That is more than double the compound annual rate of growth for the entire decade of the 2010s.
The growth is driven by EVA and the one-upmanship (or, rather, two-upmanship) with competitors China Airlines and Starlux Airlines. Starlux entered the Taiwan-U.S. market in 2023 and has since grown to five destinations, including its latest addition Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) that begins Jan. 15. China Airlines, not to be outdone, added PHX as a destination late in 2025 as well as Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) in 2024. And EVA landed at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) in October.
The rapid growth raises questions over the sustainability of some of the new flights. For example, SEA has four daily flights to TPE across China Airlines, Delta Air Lines, EVA and Starlux; that market was served by just one flight for the entirety of the 2010s. On the other hand, the large investments by Taiwanese chip manufacturer Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company in Phoenix suggest there is demand for a nonstop flight to TPE — but are two flights necessary?
Both China Airlines and Starlux have indicated that even more U.S. nonstops are coming.
Whether or not the expansion of U.S.-Taiwan flights is sustainable over the long term, it does create attractive deals for travelers. Members of Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan can book flights on Starlux using points. And China Airlines is a partner of the Delta SkyMiles loyalty program and EVA of United Airlines MileagePlus.
The new route is also good news for IAD. EVA will be the airport’s second new carrier in 2026 after South Korean airline Air Premia that begins Seoul flights in April.
EVA’s new IAD flights will also connect with United’s hub at the airport.
Related reading:
- When is the best time to book flights for the cheapest airfare?
- The best airline credit cards
- What exactly are airline miles, anyway?
- 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
- Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights
- The best credit cards to reach elite status
- What are points and miles worth? TPG’s monthly valuations
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
