San francisco: EVA Airways promoted its upcoming direct Taoyuan-Washington service at an MLB San Francisco Giants game on Sunday, where the company took part in the team's Hello Kitty Day celebration and a representative made the ceremonial first pitch.

According to Focus Taiwan, the Giants held their annual Hello Kitty Day ahead of a game against the Chicago Cubs that day, with EVA Airways serving as an event sponsor for the third consecutive year. Fans began gathering outside Oracle Park four hours before the game. The Giants stated that Hello Kitty Day attracts large crowds each year, prompting the team to schedule a second event in August-the first time it will hold two Hello Kitty Day celebrations in a single season.

Andrew Su, executive vice president of the EVA Air America Head Office, threw the ceremonial first pitch alongside Hello Kitty, the event's featured character mascot. Ahead of the launch of the Taoyuan-Washington route on June 26, Su said all June flights are already fully booked, while load factors for July and August are nearing 90 percent, underscoring strong demand.

Su added that the company plans to follow a rollout model similar to its existing Dallas route, starting with four weekly flights and gradually increasing frequency to daily service within a few months. The airline is also evaluating a potential Boston route, as part of efforts to strengthen Taiwan-North America ties.

With the Taoyuan-Washington service, EVA Air will expand its North American network to 10 destinations, operating 98 weekly flights. The company said this makes it Taiwan's largest carrier in terms of North American destinations and flight frequency.