Korean Air has confirmed an order for 33 new-technology long-haul widebody aircraft from Airbus.
The deal includes 27 A350-1000s and six A350-900s, valued at $13.7 billion at list prices.
Korean Air says the order will complement the airline's long-term fleet operations as it phases out its older aircraft.
The airline also noted that adding A350 aircraft made sense as it prepares to integrate Asiana Airlines into its business. Asiana already operates 15 A350-900s and has orders for 15 larger –900s and –1000s.
The A350-1000 is the largest variant of the A350 family and can accommodate 350 to 410 passengers in a standard three-class configuration.
Korean Air will join existing operators including Cathay Pacific Airways, Japan Airlines and British Airways to operate the A350-1000.
Korean Air says it could deploy the plane on its long-haul routes, such as Seoul Incheon-New York, where the airline currently operates two daily flights.
In addition to the agreement to purchase 33 A350s, Korean Air plans to introduce 50 Airbus A321neos, 10 additional Boeing 787-9s, 20 787-10s and 30 737 Max 8 aircraft.
Korean Air expects to return to about 96 percent of pre-pandemic capacity levels this summer.
With its global hub at Incheon International Airport (ICN), the flag carrier currently serves 111 cities in 40 countries on five continents with a fleet of 160 aircraft.
koreaair.com
