Industry Korean Air orders 20 Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Korean Air and Boeing have announced, that the carrier has finalized a deal for 20 Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

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The agreement was signed by both parties and is being valued at approximately US$6.3 billion according to current list prices. 20 aircraft will be ordered by Korean Air in total. 10 of them are 787-9s and 10 of them 787-10s.

An additional lease agreement with Air Lease Corporation for another 10 787 has been confirmed, too. With these new orders, the carrier will quadruple its existing Dreamliner fleet. The aircraft helps Korean Air to grow its international business.

Walter Cho, Chairman of Korean Air, said: “As we continue to innovate our product offering, the 787 Dreamliner family will become the backbone of our mid-and long-haul fleet for many years to come [...] In addition to 25 percent improved fuel efficiency, the stretched 787-10 offers around 15 percent more space for passengers and cargo than our 787-9s, which will be critical to our long-term business goals.”

Ihssane Mounir, Boeing senior vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing, added: “As Korean Air celebrates a half-century of excellence in flight, they have earned the respect and admiration of the global aviation community. We are honoured to partner with them again as they build out a world-class fleet of airplanes for their next 50 years [...] With the 747-8, 777 and now the 787 Dreamliner family, Korean Air operates one of the most efficient and comprehensive widebody fleets in the world.”

Earlier, on Paris Air Show 2019, Korean Air announced its commitment to order the 20 Dreamliner aircraft. Now, this MoU has been converted into firm orders. The 787-10 aircraft will most likely be used on medium-range routes, while the longer-range capabilities of the 787-9 could come in handy on long-haul routes.

Boeing´s 787-10 is the latest and largest version of the Dreamliner family. It is 68 meters long and can accommodate up to 330 passengers in a two-class configuration, meaning the -10 can transport 40 more passengers than the -9. Boeing said, that the 787-10 offers the lowest operating cost per seat of any twin-aisle jet in service.

Korean Air is the flag-carrier of South Korea and was founded in 1962. Currently, the fleet consists of 10 Airbus A220s, 29 A330s, 10 A380s, 32 Boeing 737s, 23 747s, 56 777s and 10 787s. In Jin Air, the carrier has a subsidiary airline.

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