Houston: Taiwan-based EVA Air and the city of Houston celebrated the 10th anniversary of the airline's route between Taoyuan International Airport and the city on Thursday, U.S. time. At the celebratory press conference held at the Houston Zoo, Houston Mayor Pro Tem Martha Castex-Tatum issued a proclamation announcing the day as Houston's EVA Air Day. She also expressed the city's gratitude to the airline for the flights that have contributed to Houston's development and economic abilities.
According to Focus Taiwan, EVA Air President Clay Sun highlighted that EVA Air was the only Taiwanese airline to offer direct flights to Houston, with service increasing from three to seven flights per week over the past 10 years. Load factors for the flights have remained at around 90 percent over time, as the airline's dense network enables travelers to connect to major Asian cities from Taipei. Other speakers at the event emphasized the growing ties between the two sides.
Yvonne Hsiao, director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston, noted that trade volume between Taiwan and Houston grew from US$1.1 billion in 2015 to US$11.1 billion in 2024. Meanwhile, the Houston Zoo is gifting a male bongo antelope to the Taipei Zoo to mate with its five female bongos and help breed the critically endangered species, said Kevin Hodge, vice president of the Houston Zoo. This initiative also celebrates the sister zoo partnership since 2023 and the 64th anniversary of the two cities' sister-city relationship, Hodge added.
To further celebrate sister-city ties, EVA Air is partnering with Taipei on a tourism campaign that invites Houston residents to take EVA Air's direct flight to Taipei and "experience the city's unique charm," the airline mentioned in a news release issued Friday (Taiwan time).