Korean Air has agreed to purchase 50 new Boeing aircraft, the carrier announced Monday. The order includes 20 Boeing 777-9 aircraft, 20 Boeing 787-10 aircraft and an option for 10 more of the 787-10s. The value of the deal was not disclosed.
The aircraft's "capability of long-haul flights to regions such as North America and Europe are expected to play an important role after Korean Air's merger with Asiana Airlines," according to Korean Air. The United States is the lone remaining entity among 14 regulatory authorities needed to approve the merger, but Korean Air CEO Walter Cho in June said that he expected U.S. approval by October 2024.
New Business Cabin
Korean Air on Sunday also announced that it has received its first Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner and on July 25 will launch flights on it between Seoul Incheon and Tokyo Narita airports.
In addition, the airplane will debut the carrier's new "Prestige Suites 2.0" business class which "prioritizes passenger privacy." Each of the 36 business seats is "independent" and has aisle access with an open top, and each fully reclines into a bed.
The seat length has been extended to 78 inches, with a seat pitch of 46 inches and width of 21 inches, according to Korean Air. Each seat also offers dedicated compartments for personal items, 60W "ultrafast" USB-C charging and wireless charging.
The 289 economy-class seats will be in a three-by-three-by-three configuration with a recline of up to 120 degrees, seat pitch of 32 inches and width of 17.2 inches, according to Korean Air.
Each class of seats will include high-resolution 4K monitors. Prestige passengers will have 24-inch monitors with Bluetooth audio support, while economy seats will have 12-inch monitors. Inflight Wi-Fi service also will be available.