Seoul Incheon-based Korean Air has announced an order for 33 Airbus A350s. This will help the airline expand internationally while renewing its fleet.
A350s coming
Korean Air has placed an order for 33 Airbus A350s. Specifically, the order includes 27 Airbus A350-1000s and 6 Airbus A350-900s. The deal is valued at $13.7 billion.
The order will supplement the airline’s long-term fleet operations as it gradually retires its older aircraft. The airline says the “procurement of the next-generation, eco-friendly A350 is not only aligned with the airlines’ sustainability efforts, but also is seen as preparation for the integration of Asiana Airlines”.
The A350-1000 is the largest in the A350 family, and can accommodate from 350 to 410 passengers in a standard three-class configuration. The aircraft makes use of advanced composite materials, resulting in reduction in fuel consumption and carbon emissions of up to 25%, in comparison to similarly sized previous generation aircraft models. With the longest flight range among existing passenger aircraft, the A350-1000 can operate up to 16,000km with full payload.
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The A350-900 variant is about 7 meters shorter than the A350-1000 with a range of 15,370km and typically seats 300-350 passengers in a three class layout. Korean Air says that the A350-900s can be deployed on long-haul routes such as Seoul Incheon-New York, where it currently operates twice-daily flights.
The carrier says that it will “continue to prioritize fleet modernization and reduction of carbon emissions through the operation of new aircraft and other sustainability activities”. In addition to 33 Airbus A350s, Korean Air plans to introduce 50 Airbus A321neos, 10 Boeing B787-9s, 20 Boeing B787-10s, and 30 Boeing B737MAX-8s.
Featured image by Korean Air
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