Korean Air Lines will launch its first Airbus A380 service in May 2011 with the entire upper deck of the aircraft devoted to business-class flyers.
The unique configuration of the two-deck A380 aircraft will allow Korean Air’s business-class flyers “to feel exclusivity like they’re traveling in their own private jet,” says Walter Cho, senior vice president and head of the Passenger Business Division of Korean Air.
Korean Air’s A380 upper-deck business seating, called Prestige Class, will have 94 lie-flat sleepers with 74 inches between seats and extra-large seat partitions offering what Cho says is “normally the comfort and privacy reserved for First Class passengers on other airlines”.
The first Airbus A380 for Korean Air is rolled out of the final-assembly hangar on October 21, 2010. Korean Air expects to take delivery of its first five A380s in 2011. It will operate them in a unique seating configuration which will see the lower deck fitted with 12 first-class and 301 economy-class seats and the upper-deck cabin dedicated to business-class seating. Korean Air’s A380 upper decks will each contain 94 Prestige Class seats
The Seoul-based carrier’s A380 will be “one of the most spacious in the industry when you consider that our economy class seats are spaced almost three feet apart and our Prestige Class pitch is over six feet,” says Cho, adding: “That’s a comfort level that will provide us with a competitive edge.”
Korean Air’s A380s will have a total of only 407 seats, 12 in the first class cabin and 301 economy class seats on the lower deck, and 94 Prestige Class seats on the upper deck.
The airline has ordered 10 A380s. Its first five are due to be delivered by the end of 2011 and the other five by 2014.
Korean Air has a total of 10 Airbus A380s on order. It expects to receive five in 2011 and the rest by the end of 2014
Korean Air will launch its A380s on short-haul routes to Japan and East Asia in May, and then will expand its A380 services to Korean Air’s U.S. and European routes in August 2011.
With a fleet of 132 aircraft, Korean Air operates almost 400 passenger flights per day to 114 cities in 39 countries. It is a founding member of the SkyTeam alliance, whose 13 members carry 395 million passengers annually on a worldwide route system of more than 13,000 daily flights covering 898 destinations in 169 countries.
More information on Korean Air’s programs, routes, frequency and partners is available at www.koreanair.com.
