Korean Air, a major airline based in South Korea, has ordered a number of narrow-body aircraft. Recently, the airline ordered 20 more narrowbody jets from European aircraft manufacturer Airbus. The current order went to 50 when the airline placed 20 more aircraft, totaling 50.
The airline received the first of its ordered Airbus A321neo in October 2022 and commenced operation in December 2022. The airline received eight of its A321neo delivery, making the order list to 42. These narrowbodies will connect passengers to Southeast, China, and Japan, considering the aircraft will be used for short- medium-haul routes.
Narrowbody Operation & Inflight Services
Korean Air uses narrowbodies mainly for short, medium-haul operations. There has been a downgrade in their short-haul operation for the past few years, so they aim to refocus the operation on these sectors.
The new A321neo is fitted with 182 seats, sophisticated cabin interiors, advanced personnel inflight entertainment, and eight fully lie-flat prestige class seats. Eight of the aircraft are designed with Airbus Airspace, the first airline in Asia to take delivery of this kind.
Soo Keun Lee, Executive Vice President and Chief Safety and Operation Officer of Korean Air, said:
“We are delighted to receive our first A321neo, which will be a great asset to our fleet, network and passengers,”
“This fuel-efficient, next-generation A321neo will bring our customers’ experience to a new level with the award-winning Airspace cabin and fully lie-flat business class seats.”
Passengers will get to experience comfortable seats with amazing cabin ambience. The Inflight lighting systems change according to the phases of the flight, giving passengers a relaxing flight. Korean Air provides free wifi onboard, followed by a wide range of inflight meals. Recently, they have introduced a variety of vegan meals for vegetarian passengers.
Upcoming Aircarft
Korean Air operates a mix of Airbus and Boeing. In the upcoming years, we will witness the introduction of numerous new-gen aircraft.
Apart from the Airbus A321neo, they also placed orders for 10 Boeing 787-9s, 20 Boeing 787-10s, and 30 Boeing 737-8s, making a total of 110 aircraft on order. Sadly, the airline will slowly retire its aging A330s and B777, replacing them with these new aircraft.
Have you flown on Korean Air? What are your thoughts about the fleet enhancements of the airline? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
