Middle East Conflict Drives Oil Prices Up, EVA Air: Q1 Not Significantly Affected
Despite soaring oil prices due to the Middle East conflict, EVA Air President Sun Chia-ming stated that the first quarter was not significantly affected. This was attributed to March's oil prices being based on February's average, coupled with passenger transfer effects and early ticket purchases. However, concerns remain for the second quarter.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 19, 2026 at 16:27
- 🔍 Collected: April 19, 2026 at 16:31 (4 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 19, 2026 at 17:21 (50 min after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Yu Hsiao-wen, Vienna, 19th) Despite soaring oil prices due to the Middle East conflict, EVA Air President Sun Chia-ming stated that the first quarter was not significantly affected. This was because March's oil prices were based on February's average, coupled with passenger transfer effects and passengers purchasing tickets in advance.
US President Donald Trump recently posted on his social media platform "Truth Social," writing: "Iran just announced that the Strait of Hormuz is fully open and ready for full passage. Thank you!"
Sun Chia-ming, during a media tea party for the 35th anniversary of EVA Air's Vienna route, expressed hope that if the strait truly opens and oil tankers can pass through, oil prices would come down.
Sun Chia-ming stated that the main impact of oil prices would begin in the second quarter, as March still used February's average price. Only a few regions saw slight increases due to weekly or bi-weekly settlements, but there was no significant impact on the first quarter, and first-quarter profits were still good.
Sun Chia-ming pointed out that despite the Middle East conflict, Northeast Asia has always performed well, and the US market remains stable. While European routes already have high load factors, passengers transferring to these routes tend to purchase the highest cabin class tickets. European routes are almost 100% full, leading to a record-high monthly revenue for March this year.
Regarding the second quarter, Sun Chia-ming stated that it would mainly depend on oil prices. Aviation fuel has risen by over 120%, which will have a more significant impact on them.
National airlines' fuel surcharges were adjusted upwards from the 7th, with short-haul routes increasing to US$45 (approximately NT$1438) and long-haul routes to US$117 (NT$3739). Sun Chia-ming said that currently, it does not seem to have affected demand, but with the latest fuel surcharges, long-haul routes can only cover 15% of the costs, and short-haul routes only 30%, with the rest having to be absorbed by the airlines themselves.
Regarding some airlines recently announcing flight reductions, Sun Chia-ming emphasized that EVA Air currently has no plans to reduce flights due to the war. For Northeast Asia and US routes, load factors in April exceed 90%. "How can we reduce flights? How can we arrange passengers?" Therefore, flight reductions are impossible. European routes have high load factors due to transfer effects, making reductions even less likely. Only the Kaohsiung-Hong Kong flight, due to its relatively low load factor among all routes, will see adjustments in May and June; all others will remain normal.
As for ticket prices, Sun Chia-ming pointed out that prices are unlikely to decrease because demand still exists. Although passengers booking half a year in advance might get slightly lower prices, overall prices are still trending upwards, and it is estimated that average ticket prices will not fall. (Edited by Kuan Chung-wei) 1150419
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship you make is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency "First-hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and audio-visual content on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or utilized without authorization.
(Central News Agency reporter Yu Hsiao-wen, Vienna, 19th) Despite soaring oil prices due to the Middle East conflict, EVA Air President Sun Chia-ming stated that the first quarter was not significantly affected. This was because March's oil prices were based on February's average, coupled with passenger transfer effects and passengers purchasing tickets in advance.
US President Donald Trump recently posted on his social media platform "Truth Social," writing: "Iran just announced that the Strait of Hormuz is fully open and ready for full passage. Thank you!"
Sun Chia-ming, during a media tea party for the 35th anniversary of EVA Air's Vienna route, expressed hope that if the strait truly opens and oil tankers can pass through, oil prices would come down.
Sun Chia-ming stated that the main impact of oil prices would begin in the second quarter, as March still used February's average price. Only a few regions saw slight increases due to weekly or bi-weekly settlements, but there was no significant impact on the first quarter, and first-quarter profits were still good.
Sun Chia-ming pointed out that despite the Middle East conflict, Northeast Asia has always performed well, and the US market remains stable. While European routes already have high load factors, passengers transferring to these routes tend to purchase the highest cabin class tickets. European routes are almost 100% full, leading to a record-high monthly revenue for March this year.
Regarding the second quarter, Sun Chia-ming stated that it would mainly depend on oil prices. Aviation fuel has risen by over 120%, which will have a more significant impact on them.
National airlines' fuel surcharges were adjusted upwards from the 7th, with short-haul routes increasing to US$45 (approximately NT$1438) and long-haul routes to US$117 (NT$3739). Sun Chia-ming said that currently, it does not seem to have affected demand, but with the latest fuel surcharges, long-haul routes can only cover 15% of the costs, and short-haul routes only 30%, with the rest having to be absorbed by the airlines themselves.
Regarding some airlines recently announcing flight reductions, Sun Chia-ming emphasized that EVA Air currently has no plans to reduce flights due to the war. For Northeast Asia and US routes, load factors in April exceed 90%. "How can we reduce flights? How can we arrange passengers?" Therefore, flight reductions are impossible. European routes have high load factors due to transfer effects, making reductions even less likely. Only the Kaohsiung-Hong Kong flight, due to its relatively low load factor among all routes, will see adjustments in May and June; all others will remain normal.
As for ticket prices, Sun Chia-ming pointed out that prices are unlikely to decrease because demand still exists. Although passengers booking half a year in advance might get slightly lower prices, overall prices are still trending upwards, and it is estimated that average ticket prices will not fall. (Edited by Kuan Chung-wei) 1150419
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship you make is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency "First-hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and audio-visual content on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or utilized without authorization.