Summary
- Korean Air will sign a $13.7 billion contract with Airbus for 33 A350 aircraft.
- Latest A350s will replace older aircraft for a more sustainable and efficient fleet.
- Korean Air’s order book now features a total of 143 Airbus and Boeing aircraft, with a combination of widebodies and narrowbodies.
Korean Air has announced that it can sign a multi-billion dollar contract with European aircraft manufacturer Airbus for 33 Airbus A350 aircraft. The deal includes each variants of the sort, the -900s and -1000s. The airline now has over 140 aircraft on its order books, which shall be delivered within the years to return.
Korean Air
- IATA/ICAO Code
- KE/KAL
- 12 months Founded
- 1969
- CEO
- Walter Cho
A Latest Aircraft Type
Today, South Korean carrier Korean Air announced it could sign a contract with Airbus for the much-anticipated order for the Airbus A350 aircraft. The deal is valued at $13.7 billion and can include 33 aircraft. This includes 27 A350-1000s and 6 of the smaller A350-900s.
The airline announced that these recent aircraft will replace a few of the older aircraft, thus ensuring the airline maintains a young and efficient fleet, which also aligns with the carrier’s sustainability efforts. The A350 offers a discount of 25% in carbon emissions in comparison with previous generation aircraft of the identical size, making it one of the eco-friendly aircraft available available in the market and a highly desirable aircraft for operators worldwide.
Photo: Tom Boon | Easy Flying
The A350-1000 can accommodate between 350 and 410 passengers in a regular three-class configuration, with a spread of 8,600 nautical miles (16,000 km) when operating with full payload. The smaller A350-900 has a capability of 300 to 350 passengers in a three-class layout, with an operational range of around 8,300 nautical miles (15,370 km).
One other 15 A350s?
The readers following the news about Korean Air would probably know that the carrier, for some time now, has been in talks with acquiring Asiana Airlines, a fellow carrier also based in South Korea. This key point was also addressed within the announcement made by Korean Air today. The airline stated that the order for the A350s would prepare the carrier for integration with Asiana Airlines, which already operates 15 of the smaller A350-900s.
Nonetheless, the technique of acquiring Asiana has been met with some hurdles, namely from the Department of Justice (DoJ) in the USA and, until recently, the European Commission in Europe.
Korean Air-Asiana Airlines Merger Gains European Approval
Korean Air and Asiana Airlines have agreed to certain divestments to satisfy the EU’s competition regulators.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Easy Flying
The DoJ’s predominant concern is that by acquiring Asiana, Korean Air would essentially eliminate any competition present on several routes between Seoul Incheon International Airport (ICN) and certain destinations within the US. Previously, the DoJ has also stated it could consider suing Korean Air if it went ahead with the acquisition.
US Department of Justice Eyes Lawsuit Against Korean Air Asiana Merger
Concerns over competition proceed to carry up the merger.
While it’s unclear how the DoJ can sue carriers outside the US, it successfully sued JetBlue and Spirit Airlines, blocking their proposed merger.
The Order Book
With the A350s added to Korean Air’s order book, the airline is now expecting a complete of 143 aircraft, a combination of wide and narrowbodies from each Airbus and Boeing. The aircraft to be delivered stands as follows:
Aircraft Type |
Numbers On Order |
---|---|
A321neo |
50 |
A350-900 |
6 |
A350-1000 |
27 |
Boeing 737-8 |
30 |
Boeing 787-9 |
10 |
Boeing 787-10 |
20 |
While the A350, as previously mentioned, is a brand new aircraft type for the aircraft, the remaining aircraft types will be integrated into the prevailing fleet as Korean Air either already operates the aircraft type or one other aircraft from throughout the same family (Korean Air operates the 787-9s but not the 787-10s).
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