Korean Air (KRX: 003490) is the largest airline based in South Korea. One of the largest airlines in Asia, it operates a network that links Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, North America, and (formerly to) South America to its hub at Incheon International Airport and its domestic hub at Gimpo International Airport (formerly Kimpo International Airport). The airline competes with the smaller, younger fleet of Asiana Airlines.
| File:Korean Air logo.png | |||||||
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| Founded | 1962 (privatized 1969) | ||||||
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| Hubs | Incheon Int'l Airport Gimpo International Airport | ||||||
| Focus cities | Gimhae International Airport Jeju International Airport | ||||||
| Frequent-flyer program | SKYPASS | ||||||
| Alliance | SkyTeam | ||||||
| Fleet size | 115 | ||||||
| Destinations | 105 incl. cargo | ||||||
| Parent company | Korean Air ITDC | ||||||
| Headquarters | Seoul, Republic of Korea | ||||||
| Key people | Cho Yangho (Chairman and CEO) | ||||||
| Website | http://www.koreanair.com | ||||||
In recent years, Korean Air has upgraded its fleet and services and has won international acclaims and awards. With its excellent financial performance in 2005, Korean Air received the "Phoenix Award" from Air Transport World (ATW) for its success in overcoming challenges in the global airline industry. It has been named one of Asia's best airlines by Time readers and twice has won the coveted Mercury Award for its inflight catering.
History
Template:Koreanname Korean Air began in 1962 as Korean Air Lines and was owned by the South Korean Government. It replaced the former Korean carrier Korean National Airlines. In 1969 KAL was acquired by the Hanjin Transport Group and became privately owned.
International flights to Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Los Angeles, United States were flown with Boeing 707s until the introduction of Boeing 747 in 1973. In 1973, KAL introduced Boeing 747s on their Pacific routes and started a European service to Paris using the 707 and Dc-10. KAL was also the Airbus's first customer outside Europe.
On September 1 1983, Korean Air Lines Flight 007, also known as KAL 007 or KE007, was shot down by Soviet jet interceptors just west of Sakhalin Island. It was carrying 269 passengers and crew at the time, including U.S. congressman Lawrence McDonald. There were not any survivors. The Soviet Union stated it did not know the aircraft was civilian and suggested it had entered Soviet airspace as a deliberate provocation to test their response capabilities.
A blue-top livery was introduced in 1st pf March, 1984 and the airline's name changed to Korean Air from Korean Airlines(Although this name is still used in official documents). In 1990s Korean Air became the first airline to use the new MD-11 to supplement its new fleet of Boeing 747-400s. However, MD-11 did not meet the set performance. So its MD-11 were converted to freighters (in addition to 747 freighters). Korean Air flies to the most US destinations of any Asian carrier (10, one pending). Korean Air currently owns 25% of Okay Airways, a Tianjin, PRC-based airline.
Destinations
They fly seasonal charters to Kathmandu, Kota Kinabalu, Urumqi, Utapao, Vienna and Yangon, as well as seasonal scheduled services to Anchorage, Christchurch and St. Petersburg.
Safety record
From mid 1980s to the late 1990s, Korean Air had safety problems. In fact, the SkyTeam alliance briefly removed Korean Air from its code share program until demonstrable changes were presented to the alliance. The US Federal Aviation Administration, which regulates access to the American airspace, warned the Korean Air management team that its access to the American airports would be restricted unless drastic changes were forthcoming. The U.S. military and the State department advised its personnel to avoid taking Korean Air if other commercial alternatives were available. The competing carrier, Asiana Airlines, benefited tremendously from the dramatic drop in Korean Air's reputation as its safety record was significantly better than Korean Air's. This is not surprising since Asiana was a new airline.
Since the turn of the century, Korean Air has demonstrated steady improvement in safety standards and has gradually been removed from safety watch lists. Korean Air became profitable again and became Asia's fifth largest carrier.
Flight Numbers
- KE 001-099 - Korea to Americas
- KE 601-699 - Korea to Asia except Japan
- KE 701-799 - Korea to Japan
- KE 801-899 - Korea to Oceania
- KE 901-999 - Korea to Europe, Middle East and Africa
- KE 1000-1999- Domestic
Code sharing
The airline has code-share agreements with the following airlines (as of April 2006):
Korean Air is a founding partner in SkyTeam, the world's second largest alliance.
Korean Air is an airline partner of Skywards, the frequent flyer program for Emirates and Sri Lankan Airlines. Skywards members can earn miles for flying Korean Air and can redeem miles for free flights.
Fleet
Passenger fleet
The Korean Air passenger fleet consists of the following aircraft as of July 2006:
| Type | Total | Passengers (First*/Prestige*/Economy) |
Routes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A300-600 | 10 | A: 276 (24/252) B: 266 (24/242) |
Will be Phased Out by Boeing 787 | |
| Airbus A330-200 | 3 | 258 (6/18/234) | International Flights(Europe) | |
| Airbus A330-300 | 16 | A: 296 (12/28/256) B: 352 (24/328) |
International(Oceania, Japan, Middle East) and Domestic Flights | |
| Airbus A380 | (5 On Order) | Entry Into Service: 2008 | ||
| Boeing 737-800 | 14 | A: 164 (8/156) B: 149 (8/141) |
Domestic and International(China) Flights | |
| Boeing 737-900 | 15 | 188 (8/180) | Domestic and International(China) Flights | |
| Boeing 747-400 | 24 (1 On Order) |
A: 384 (16/58/310) B: 376 (12/58/306) |
International Flights(Europe and America) | |
| Boeing 777-200 | 11 (4 On Order) |
A: 261 (8/28/225) B: 301 (12/28/261) |
International Flights(America and Oceania(except SYD)) | |
| Boeing 777-300 | 4 | 376 (12/28/336) | International Flights(South-East Asia) | |
| Boeing 787 | (10 On Order) | Replacing Airbus A300-600 |
*First Class is offered on domestic and short-haul Flights. Prestige Class is offered on international medium-long haul flights.
Cargo fleet
The Korean Air cargo fleet consists of the following aircraft as of July 2006:
| Type | Total | Routes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 747-400F | 17 | ||
| Boeing 747F | 1 |
The average age of the Korean Air fleet is 7.5 years as of July 2006. Korean Air operates 99 passenger aircraft, and 18 cargo aircraft, for a total of 117 planes.
On 31 May 2005 Korean Air signed an agreement on an additional order for a Boeing 747-400ERF, converting an option taken out in 2004, bringing total Korean Air orders for the aircraft to eight, of which five have been delivered. The new aircraft is scheduled for delivery in May 2006 (ref: Air International, July 2005).
Korean Air Cargo has been ranked the world's top commercial airline cargo operation by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for two consecutive years (2004~2005). During 2005, Korean Air recorded 7.982 billion FTK, topping the charts.
Affinity programs
SKYPASS is the frequent flyer program of Korean Air. "SKYPASS" also refers to the blue card which Korean Air frequent flyers are given. SKYPASS's motto is "Beyond your Imagination," which is also printed on the card. The program's elite levels are comparable to those of other airlines' frequent flyer programs, requiring members to fly a certain number of miles per two-year cycle. Qualification for the highest level is based on lifetime flight miles, requiring a customer to fly 1 million miles. Membership in this level is granted for life.
See also
External links
