Industry Korean Air Lines receives first Bombardier CS300

Korea’s flag carrier Korea Air Lines received the first of ten ordered CS300 for their regional operations. The carrier ordered the aircraft with options for additional ten aircraft in July 2011. The aircraft have 127 seats, 25 in economy plus and 102 in economy class. The second CS300 is scheduled to be delivered in the next days.

“This is a very important milestone for the C Series program because it is our breakthrough into the fast-growing Asian market, and we are honored to have Korean Air Lines as our brand ambassador in the region,” said Fred Cromer, President, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. “We expect that over the next 20 years, Asian operators will take delivery of 2,870 small single-aisle aircraft. We are thrilled that Korean Air is the first in the region to showcase the CS300 aircraft’s outstanding performance and capabilities.”

“When we selected the aircraft in 2011, we knew it would be a great addition to our fleet. Today, it is the most efficient aircraft in its class, and its passenger comfort is outstanding. The CS300 aircraft will enable us to reinforce our regional single-aisle operations, while providing a high level of profitability and customer satisfaction. These are key drivers of our decision to acquire the Bombardier CS300, and we are looking forward integrating it to our fleet,” said Soo-Keun Lee, Chief Technology Officer, Korean Air Lines.

Korean Air Lines currently operates a fleet of 175 aircraft. The new CS300 aircraft will be the smallest aircraft in the fleet and the first with no business class seats.