Korean Air’s New Airbus A321neos: What’s The Newest?

• Korean Air

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  KE/KAL

  Airline Kind:

  Full Service Provider

  Hub(s):

  Incheon Worldwide Airport

  12 months Based:

  1969

  Alliance:

  SkyTeam

  CEO:

  Walter Cho

  Nation:

  South Korea

Even with out the brand new plane sort Korean Air might be accepting quickly, the airline has an extremely various fleet of plane. Its narrowbodies embody each the Airbus A220 and the jets from the Boeing 737 household. On the huge physique aspect, the provider flies jets from each Airbus and Boeing – together with jumbos from all sides: The 747 and the A380. However within the close to future, the airline will add the Airbus A321neo to the Korean Air household. So what’s the standing of this new addition?

Two jets now noticed

On April twelfth, the very first Korean Air A321neo was noticed with out its engines. Assigned take a look at registration D-AZYU, the jet takes on MSN 10977 and can finally be registered as HL8505 with Korean Air. On the time, the plane already had its tail colours utilized, whereas the remaining was left and not using a coat of paint. Nevertheless, a month later, on Might twelfth, the jet was noticed in its full light-blue colours, nonetheless with out engines. It was solely far more lately on August fifteenth that MSN 10977 was noticed with its model new Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engines. Days later, on August seventeenth, one other Korean Air A321neo was noticed. Clearly nonetheless at an earlier part, the jet lacked engines and solely had its tail and winglets painted in Korean Air’s colours.

With Singapore Airways and jetBlue among the many few airways providing long-haul widebody consolation on their respective narrowbody jets, one has to surprise if Korean Air might supply the identical. In spite of everything, the airline has said that the A321neos might be used on “longer sectors” throughout the East and South East Asia area. We all know that its new 737 MAX plane have easy recliners with out inflight leisure – one thing that will certainly be disappointing if additionally featured on the A321neo. The airline has but to disclose any particulars on this class, so we’ll simply have to attend to see if the airline provides a extra luxurious seating possibility for its premium vacationers.

Korean Air’s A321neo order

In 2015, Korean Air signed a contract with Airbus for a agency 30 A321neo plane plus 20 choices. The airline plans to function the A321neo with a two-class full-service structure on regional companies from this 12 months. Companies will embody longer sectors to chose locations in South East Asia. When the order was finalized in 2015, the airline group’s chairman, Cho Yang Ho, said the next:

“We’re happy to have the ability to finalise our first ever single aisle plane order with Airbus…The A321neo will convey new ranges of effectivity, longer flying vary and higher in-flight consolation to our single aisle fleet, in addition to minimal impact on the atmosphere. The A321neo will contribute to our ongoing dedication to supply true excellence in flight wherever we fly.”

Powered by Pratt & Whitney

Having chosen the Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan (GTF) engine to energy its A321neos, Korean Air has determined to open a P&W GTF MRO Facility In 2023 after its A321neos arrive. Whereas Korean might have gone with CFM Worldwide’s LEAP-1A engines to energy the A321neo as an alternative, anybody who is aware of the finer particulars of the airline’s operations gained’t be too shocked with the provider’s alternative of PW engines. That’s as a result of the provider has a pre-existing relationship with Pratt & Whitney, which sees lots of its jets powered by PW engines. These embody the A220, A330, and 777. Moreover, as Key.aero notes, Korean Air operates ten A380s powered by the Engine Alliance GP7200, a three way partnership between Pratt & Whitney and Common Electrical.

Are you enthusiastic about Korean Air taking this extra plane sort? How do you assume this jet’s inside will evaluate to the slim our bodies of competing airways like Cathay Pacific (A321neo) and Singapore Airways (737 MAX 8)? Tell us by leaving a remark.

Sources: AIB Household Flights, Key.Aero, Korean Air