When formed in 1989, EVA Air was the first and only competitor of national flag carrier China Airlines in Taiwan. In less than three decades, the carrier (100% owned by logistic and cargo giant company Evergreen International) became one of the best for onboard comfort and service, obtaining the prestigious 5-STAR rating from Skytrax. EVA Air is famous for having Hello Kitty characters (which are extremely popular in Taiwan) adorning the fuselage of some of its aircraft (Photo Wikimedia Commons)
- - 5 STARS: Awarded to airlines achieving a very high, overall quality performance. It recognizes high standards of onboard product together with consistent and excellent standards of staff service across airport and cabin environments
- - 4 STARS: Awarded to airlines that deliver a good overall quality performance and provide good product standards across different travel cabins
- - 3 STARS: Awarded to airlines delivering a fair quality performance equating to the industry 'average' of acceptable product and service standards
- - 2 STARS: Shows airlines delivering a lower total quality performance, in some instances below the industry average across many rating categories
- - 1 STAR: Represents a poor quality of product delivered across the assessment sectors
* SKYTRAX (www.skytraxratings.com) is the most prestigious independent rating agency in commercial aviation. Its five stars rating system regarding airline quality has become a status symbol for carriers around the world. Here is what the stars stand for: