EVA Air's Incredible Hello Kitty Flights: A Complete Guide

EVA Air is well-known for its interesting partnership with the "Hello Kitty" brand. Much like ANA and its Star Wars-themed aircraft, EVA has a handful of Hello Kitty-themed planes.

The special theme is not limited to just the aircraft exterior, however, as the interiors of these planes are fully decked out in Hello Kitty colors. Today, we will look at what the experience is like on these unique planes and where EVA flies them.

The Hello Kitty Experience

EVA Air's partnership with Hello Kitty means the Taiwanese carrier operates select flights with special Hello Kitty touches. It's worth specifying that the flights themselves are not special. Moreover, they are regularly scheduled flights that just so happen to be operated by special-themed planes.

For passengers traveling on these flights, the Hello Kitty experience begins right when you reach the airport. At EVA's main hub at Taipei Taoyuan International Airport (TPE), there is a dedicated Hello Kitty check-in area. Once passengers are checked in and clear security, there are even specially-themed gate areas for these special flights.

The flight is where the main experience begins. All aspects of the onboard service are based on the Hello Kitty theme. Inside the aircraft, the cabin is decorated as such and the flight attendants wear special uniforms to further the theme.

When it comes to food service, the meal or snack packaging, napkins, and even the air sickness bags in the seatback pocket all carry Hello Kitty logos and designs.

For passengers traveling on long-haul flights, the pillows, slippers, and menu cards are also Hello Kitty-themed. Even the toilet paper in the aircraft lavatories is specially themed.

This special branding shows EVA's commitment to the Hello Kitty brand, a partnership the airline has held for many years now. While it may seem over the top in some cases and even too much for some passengers, it is important to acknowledge the fun experience these special flights bring to many.

Where Do They Fly?

EVA Air has four aircraft painted in special Hello Kitty liveries, each with a unique paint scheme. There are three Airbus A330-300s and one Boeing 777-300ER.

The A330-300s are registered B-16331, B-16332, and B-16333 and have the following liveries:

• B-16331 "Bad Badtz-Maru"
• B-16332 "Sanrio Characters Joyful Dream"
• B-16333 "Hello Kitty - Sanrio Characters"

The sole 777-300ER is registered B-16722 and was recently repainted into the "Besties Jet" livery. This aircraft formerly wore the "Hello Kitty Shining Star" livery.

EVA has a full schedule for the Hello Kitty flights on its website so the most up-to-date information can be found there. As of September 2024, these are the current Hello Kitty routes with Chicago being the only long-haul route listed:

• TPE - Clark, Philippines (CRK) - Daily service on flights BR233/BR234
• TPE - Cebu, Philippines (CEB) - Daily service on flights BR281/BR282
• TPE - Bali, Indonesia (DPS) - Daily service on flights BR255/BR256
• TPE - Chicago, IL, USA (ORD) - 3x weekly service on flights BR56/BR55

For the Chicago flight, EVA operates the Hello Kitty aircraft on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from Taipei to Chicago. However, the flight back to Taipei departs just after midnight Chicago time, meaning the Chicago-Taipei route sees Hello Kitty service on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

Chicago has interestingly been the only official long-haul destination receiving the special Hello Kitty service since 2017 when EVA launched the route.

EVA's sole Hello Kitty 777 is not limited to Chicago service. Per Flightradar24, B-16722 has recently flown to New York (JFK), Houston (IAH), Shanghai (PVG), and Singapore (SIN).

Similarly, the three special A330s might also fly to other cities not mentioned above like Manila (MNL), Sapporo (CTS), or Beijing (PEK).

In these instances, it can be assumed that the full Hello Kitty experience is not present. While the special-themed aircraft are operating those flights, if the destination is not listed on EVA's website as being an official "Hello Kitty" special flight city, then that flight would not get the full treatment.

Therefore, if you happen to fly the special 777 to Singapore, the only special aspect of the flight would be the aircraft itself as the onboard service would likely be the same as a normal EVA flight.