Korean Air


Korean Air Co., Ltd., operating as Korean Air, is the largest airline and flag carrier of South Korea based on fleet size, international destinations and international flights. The airline's global headquarters is located in Seoul, South Korea. Korean Air was established on March 1, 1969 after the Hanjin Group acquired government-owned Korean Air Lines. Through their majority control of Hanjin KAL Corporation, the Cho family, the owner family of Hanjin Group is still the airline's largest, and controlling, shareholder. Korean Air is a founding member of the SkyTeam airline alliance.
Korean Air's international passenger division and related subsidiary cargo division together serve 126 cities in 44 countries, while its domestic division serves 13 destinations. It is among the top 20 airlines in the world in terms of passengers carried and is also one of the top-ranked international cargo airlines. Incheon International Airport Terminal 2 serves as Korean Air's international hub. Korean Air also maintains a satellite headquarters campus at Incheon. The majority of Korean Air's pilots, ground staff, and flight attendants are based in Seoul. The airline had approximately 20,540 employees as of December 2014.

History

Founding

Korean Air was founded by the South Korean government in 1962 as Korean Air Lines to replace Korean National Airlines, which was founded in 1946. On March 1, 1969, the Hanjin Group acquired the airline. Long-haul freight operations were introduced on April 26, 1971, followed by passenger services to Los Angeles International Airport on April 19, 1972.
International flights to Hong Kong, Taiwan and Los Angeles were flown with Boeing 707s until the introduction of the Boeing 747 in 1973. In 1973, the airline introduced Boeing 747s on its Pacific routes and started a European service to Paris, France using the 707 and then McDonnell Douglas DC-10. In 1975, the airline became one of the earliest Asian airlines to operate Airbus aircraft with the purchase of three Airbus A300s, which were put into immediate service on Asian routes. Since South Korean aircraft were prohibited from flying in the airspace of North Korea and the Soviet Union at the time, the European routes had to be designed eastbound from South Korea, such as Gimpo-Anchorage-Paris.

Change to 'Korean Air'

A blue-top, silver and redesigned livery with a new corporate "Korean Air" logo featuring a stylized Taegeuk design was introduced on March 1, 1984, and the airline's name changed to Korean Air from Korean Air Lines. This livery was introduced on its Fokker F28 Fellowships and Boeing 747-300s. It was designed in cooperation between Korean Air and Boeing. In the 1990s, Korean Air became the first airline to use the new McDonnell Douglas MD-11 to supplement its new fleet of Boeing 747-400 aircraft; however, the MD-11 did not meet the airline's performance requirements and they were eventually converted to freighters. Some older 747 aircraft were also converted for freight service.
at EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg in 1985.
at Toulouse–Blagnac Airport, France, May 25, 2011.

Further expansion and founding of Jin Air

In the 1980s, Korean Air's head office was in the KAL Building on Namdaemunno, Jung-gu, Seoul.
On June 5, 2007, Korean Air said that it would create a new low-cost carrier called Jin Air in Korea to compete with Korea's KTX high-speed railway network system, which offered cheaper fares and less stringent security procedures compared to air travel. Jin Air started its scheduled passenger service from Seoul to Jeju on July 17, 2008. Korean Air announced that some of its 737s and A300s would be given to Jin Air.
By 2009, Korean Air's image had become more prestigious, differing from the airline's late-1990s image, which had been tarnished by several fatal accidents.
In mid-2010, a co-marketing deal with games company Blizzard Entertainment sent a 747-400 and a 737-900 taking to the skies wrapped in StarCraft II branding. In August 2010, Korean Air announced heavy second-quarter losses despite record high revenue.
In August 2010, Hanjin Group, the parent of Korean, opened a new cargo terminal at Navoi in Uzbekistan, which will become a cargo hub with regular Incheon-Navoi-Milan flights.
Korean Air owns five hotels: two KAL hotels on Jeju island, the Hyatt in Incheon; Waikiki Resort in Hawaii, and a hotel/office building called the Wilshire Grand Tower in Los Angeles. This building in downtown Los Angeles houses the largest InterContinental Hotel in the Americas in what is the tallest building in Los Angeles.
In 2013, Korean Air acquired a 44% stake in Czech Airlines. It sold the stake in October 2017. On May 1, 2018, the airline launched a joint venture partnership with Delta Air Lines.

Corporate affairs and identity

Korean Air's headquarters is located in Gonghang-dong, Gangseo-gu in Seoul. Korean Air also has offices at Gimpo International Airport in Seoul. Korean Air's other hubs are at Jeju International Airport, Jeju and Gimhae International Airport, Busan. The maintenance facilities are located in Gimhae International Airport.

Destinations

Korean Air serves 126 international destinations in 44 countries on 5 continents, excluding codeshares. The airline's international hub is Incheon International Airport Terminal 2. The airline also flies to 13 domestic destinations. The airline operates between Incheon and 22 cities in mainland China, and along with Asiana Airlines, it is one of the two largest foreign airlines to operate into the People's Republic of China.

Codeshare agreements

Korean Air has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:
Korean Air has interline agreements with the following airlines:
Korean Air is also an airline partner of Skywards, the frequent-flyer program for Emirates. Skywards members can earn miles for flying Korean Air and can redeem miles for free flights.

Fleet

Current fleet

, the Korean Air fleet consists of the following aircraft:

Retired fleet

Korean Air has operated the following aircraft:
AircraftTotalIntroducedRetiredNotes
Airbus A300B4-2C819751997
Airbus A300B4-200F219862000
Airbus A300-600R3019872012
Airbus A300-600RF220152015Converted from Airbus A300-600R.
Airbus A330-300120012013Leased to Czech Airlines.
Boeing 707-320B419711989
Boeing 707-320C719711989
Boeing 720219691976
Boeing 727-100519721985
Boeing 727-2001219801996
Boeing 737-800220072019
Boeing 737-8002020002020Transferred to subsidiary Jin Air.
Boeing 747-200B1119781998
Boeing 747-200C219732000
Boeing 747-200F819782006
Boeing 747-200SF219912002Converted from Boeing 747-200B.
Boeing 747-300219842006One crashed as flight KE801 in 1997.
Boeing 747-300M119882001
Boeing 747-300SF120012006Converted from Boeing 747-300M.
Boeing 747-400BCF920072014Converted from Boeing 747-400.
Boeing 747-400F1019962018
Boeing 747-400M119902010
Boeing 747SP219811998
Boeing 777-200ER119972020
Boeing 777-200ER420052016Transferred to subsidiary Jin Air.
CASA C-212
Douglas DC-3219501970
Douglas DC-4219531969
Douglas DC-8-60619721976
Fairchild-Hiller FH-227219671970
Fokker F27-200319631980
Fokker F27-500319691991
Fokker F27-600119821986
Fokker F28-4000419841993
Fokker 1001219922004
Lockheed L-749A Constellation
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32219671972
McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30519751996
McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30CF119781983
McDonnell Douglas MD-11519911995
McDonnell Douglas MD-11F519952005Converted from McDonnell Douglas MD-11.
McDonnell Douglas MD-82919932001
McDonnell Douglas MD-83719942001
NAMC YS-11A-200719691976

Fleet plans

At the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines Assembly in 2018, Korean Air announced that it was considering a new large widebody aircraft order to replace older Airbus A330, Boeing 747-400, Boeing 777-200ER and Boeing 777-300. Types under consideration for replacement of older widebody aircraft in the fleet include the Boeing 777X and Airbus A350 XWB.
At the International Air Transport Association Annual General Meeting in Seoul, Chairman Walter Cho said Korean Air's widebody order is imminent and it is considering an extra order of Airbus A220 Family including developing version, Airbus A220-500.

Aircraft interiors

Korean Air offers three types of first class, three types of business class, and economy class.

First Class

First Class seats include "Kosmo Suites 2.0" seats on all Boeing 747-8I and Boeing 777-300ER. "Kosmo Suites" seats on most of the Airbus A380-800 fleet, some of the Boeing 777-200ER fleet, and Boeing 777-300ER. the differences between "Kosmo Suites 2.0" and "Kosmo Suites" is "Kosmo Suites 2.0" has slide door to provide passenger privacy. "Kosmo Sleeper" seats on some of Boeing 777-200ER, "Sleeper", old first class seats on Boeing 747-400 and Boeing 777-300 much later version.

Prestige Class

Prestige Class seats include "Prestige Sleeper" seats on all Boeing 777-300ERs and Airbus A380s, as well as 777-200ER aircraft that feature "Kosmo Suites" seats; "Prestige Plus" seats on most of the Boeing 777-200ER fleet, most of the Boeing 747-400 fleet, and one Boeing 777-300; and "old Prestige Class" seats. "Prestige Sleeper" seats recline to 180 degrees, while "Prestige Plus" seats recline up to 172 degrees. "Old Prestige Class" seats recline up to only 138 degrees, although these seats are being phased out except for on Boeing 737 aircraft.

Premium Economy Class

On 27 December 2017, CEO of Korean Air, Won-Tae Cho said to consider to introduce Premium Economy Class. In that result, Korean Air introduced its first Premium Economy Class named "Economy Plus" on its CS300. It features 4 inches wider than economy class seats. However, on 10 June 2019, Korean Air announced to disuse the "Economy Plus" and it will reassigned to economy class due to discordance of service and loss profit.

Economy Class

Economy Class seats recline up to 121 degrees. A new type of seat called "New Economy Class" is being installed on all Boeing 777-300ER and Boeing 777-200ER aircraft with Kosmo Suites, all Boeing 777-300 aircraft, some Airbus A330-300 aircraft, some Airbus A330-200 aircraft, the Airbus A380 aircraft, and brand new Boeing 747-8i aircraft. The "Kosmo Suites" seats and the "Prestige Sleeper" seats were first introduced in the Boeing 777-300ERs in May 2009. Both seats could stretch to 180 degrees, and became more private than seats before.

Loyalty program

SKYPASS is the frequent-flyer program of Korean Air. "SKYPASS" also refers to the blue card which Korean Air frequent-flyers are given. The motto of SKYPASS is "Beyond your Imagination". The program's elite levels are comparable to those of other airlines' frequent-flyer programs, requiring members to fly 30,000 miles per two-year cycle. Qualification for the highest level is based on lifetime flight miles, requiring a customer to fly 1 million miles for Million Miler, which is the highest elite status; or 500,000 miles for Morning Calm Premium, which comes second. Both membership levels are eligible for SkyTeam Elite Plus privileges. Membership in these levels are granted for life.
Korean Air members’ club was named Morning Calm, as a reference to South Korea’s tradition.
Since 1886, when a book written by Percival Lowell obtained large success in the United States in narrating the history of Korea, the country started to be internationally referred as “the Land of Morning calm”, and its ruling monarchy the Joseon, became known abroad as the “Morning Dynasty”.

Aerospace research and manufacturing

Korean Air is also involved in aerospace research and manufacturing. The division, known as the Korean Air Aerospace Division, has manufactured licensed versions of the MD Helicopters MD 500 and Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, as well as the Northrop F-5E/F Tiger II fighter aircraft, the aft fuselage and wings for the KF-16 fighter aircraft manufactured by Korean Aerospace Industries and parts for various commercial aircraft including the Boeing 737, Boeing 747, Boeing 777 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner; and the Airbus A330 and Airbus A380. In 1991 the division designed and flew the Korean Air Chang-Gong 91 light aircraft. KAA also provides aircraft maintenance support for the United States Department of Defense in Asia and maintains a research division with focuses on launch vehicles, satellites, commercial aircraft, military aircraft, helicopters and simulation systems.
In October 2012, a development deal between Bombardier Aerospace and a government-led South Korean consortium was announced, aiming to develop a 90-seat turboprop regional airliner, targeting a 2019 launch date. The consortium would include Korea Aerospace Industries and Korean Air.

Incidents and accidents

Korean Air had a poor safety record and was once one of the world's most dangerous airlines. Between 1970 and 1999, many fatal incidents occurred, during which time 16 aircraft were written off in serious incidents and accidents with the loss of 700 lives. Two Korean Air aircraft were shot down by the Soviet Union, one operating as Korean Air Lines Flight 902 and the other as Korean Air Lines Flight 007. Korean Air's deadliest incident was Flight 007 which was shot down by the Soviet Union on September 1, 1983. All 269 people on board were killed, including a sitting U.S. Congressman, Larry McDonald. The last fatal passenger accident was the Korean Air Flight 801 crash in 1997, which killed 228 people. The last crew fatalities were in the crash of Korean Air Cargo Flight 8509 in December 1999.

Controversy & Criticism

Chaebol and nepotism

Korean Air has been cited as one of the examples of the South Korean "chaebol" system, wherein corporate conglomerates, established with government support, overreach diverse branches of industry. For much of the time between the foundation of Korean Air as Korean National Airlines in 1946 and the foundation of Asiana Airlines in 1988, Korean Air was the only airline operating in South Korea. The process of privatization of Korean National Airlines in 1969 was supported by Park Chung-hee, the South Korean military general-president who seized power of the country through a military coup d'état; and the monopoly of the airline was secured for two decades. After widening the Jaebeol branches, the subsidiary corporations of Korean Air include marine and overland transportation businesses, hotels and real estate among others; and the previous branches included heavy industry, passenger transportation, construction and a stockbroking business. The nature of the South Korean chaebeol system involves nepotism. A series of incidents involving Korean Air in 2000s have "revealed an ugly side of the culture within chaebeols, South Korean’s giant family-run conglomerates".

Nut-rage incident

Cho Hyun-Ah, also known as "Heather Cho", is the daughter of then-chairman Cho Yang-ho. She resigned from some of her duties in late 2014 after she ordered a Korean Air jet to return to the gate to allow a flight attendant to be removed from the aircraft. The attendant had served Cho nuts in a bag instead of on a plate. As a result of further fallout, Cho Hyun-Ah was later arrested by Korean authorities for violating South Korea's aviation safety laws.