 Pilots pose in front of Korean Air’s first A380, which landed at Incheon International Airport from France at 9 a.m. Thursday. / Courtesy of Korean Air |
By Lee Hyo-sik
Korean Air, the nation’s largest airline, will operate its first A380 aircraft, dubbed “hotel in the sky,” on the Incheon-Narita and other short-distance routes in order to enable more passengers to experience what the jumbo jet is all about.
The airline said Thursday that its first A380 plane will make its first passenger flight June 17, carrying travelers to Narita International Airport from Incheon International Airport. After returning from Japan, the aircraft is also scheduled to fly to Hong Kong later in the day.
Korean Air plans to bring in four more A380 airplanes by the end of the year, operating them on its mid- and long-distance routes linking Incheon and cities in North America and Europe. Airbus will deliver five more jets to Korean Air by 2014.
“We are happy to begin offering a great flight experience to our customers soon on the A380 airplanes. We decided to operate the first one on short-distance routes to provide more passengers with the opportunity to experience it first hand,” a Korean Air spokesman said. Korean Air will be the world’s sixth airline operating the jumbo jet and the first among airlines based in Northeast Asia.
The company has turned the entire second level of the double-deck A380 into business class, providing a total of 94 prestige-class seats. Besides the 94 business-class seats, the airplane will have 12 first-class and 301 coach seats for a total of 407 seats, the fewest among airlines that currently operate A380s.
There will also be a duty-free shop on board and a lounge where passengers can relax or share drinks from the bar with other passengers.
“Korean Air’s A380 will be the most spacious and comfortable for passengers. We will be able to further reinforce our reputation as the provider of one of the world’s most premium flight services,” the spokesman said.
He also said the operation of A380s will better cater to diversifying customer needs and improve the status of Incheon International Airport as an air travel hub in Northeast Asia.
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