Information about Korean Air

This article or section is written like an . Please help [ rewrite this article] from a neutral point of view. Mark blatant advertising for , using .

Korean Air 대한항공 大韓航空 Daehan Hanggong
IATA KE	ICAO KAL	Callsign KOREAN AIR
Founded		1962 (privatized 1969)
Hubs		Incheon Int'l Airport Gimpo International Airport
Focus cities		Gimhae International Airport Jeju International Airport
Frequent flyer program		SKYPASS
Member lounge		Korean Air Lounge
Alliance		SkyTeam
Fleet size		124 (+50 orders) incl. cargo
Destinations		108 incl. cargo
Parent company		Hanjin Group
Company slogan		Excellence in Flight
Headquarters		Seoul, South Korea
Key people		Cho Yangho (Chairman and CEO)
Website: [1]

Korean Air (formerly Korean Air Lines) (KSE: 003490) (Korean Air Daehan Hanggong) is the national flag carrier airline of Korea, and its global headquarters is located in Seoul, Korea. Its international passenger division and related subsidiary cargo division together serve 130 cities in 45 countries, while its domestic division serves 20 destinations. It is among the top 20 airlines in the world airlines in terms of passengers carried. It is the largest airline based in South Korea, with Korea's second largest flag carrier being Asiana Airlines. Incheon International Airport, located in Incheon serves as Korean Air's international superhub and gateway. Korean Air also maintains a satellite headquarters campus at Incheon International Airport, located 30 minutes away from Korea's capital, Seoul.

Korean Air's main global headquarters campus and its Global Operations Center are located in Seoul, Korea in the Kangseo-Ku district. Korean Air also maintains a domestic office campus at Gimpo International Airport in Seoul. Korean Air's lesser domestic superhubs are based at Jeju International Airport and Gimhae International Airport, Busan.^[1]

History

Korean Air began in 1962 as Korean Air Lines and was owned by the South Korean Government to replace Korean National Airlines (which had been formed in 1948). On 1 March 1969 the Hanjin Transport Group took control of the fledgling airline. Long-haul freight operations were introduced on 26 April 1971 followed by passenger services to Los Angeles on 19 April 1972.^[1]

International flights to Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Los Angeles 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 Airbus's first customer outside Europe.

A blue-top, silver and redesigned livery with a new corporate "Korean Air" logo featuring an accented, stylized "taegukki" design was introduced on 1 March 1984 and the airline's name changed to Korean Air from Korean Airlines (However this name is still used in official documents). This livery was first introduced in its Fokker F28. It was designed in cooperation between Korean Air and Boeing. 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. As a result, its MD-11s were converted to freighters (in addition to 747 freighters).

In 1997, KAL Flight 801 crashed into US Island of Guam as it was trying to approach the airport runaway. The cause of the disaster was due to the pilots relying on electronic location devices for determining where the airport's runway was, mistaken the nearby mountains for the runway.

In 1998, an economic recession hit South Korea, which resulted in large reductions in flights and the number of destinations. In 2000, Korea recovered and Korean Air expanded its global destination network, adding gateways from its worldwide super hub at Incheon International Airport.

Korean Air flies to the most US gateway destinations of any Asian carrier (16 passenger cities in the 50 states). Korean Air owns 25% of Okay Airways, a Tianjin, PRC-based airline. As of 2007, Korean Air is in negotiations to open its China hub in Beijing or Shanghai by the end of 2008.

The airline has 16,623 employees (at March 2007).^[1] On June 5, 2007, Korean Air said that it would create a new low-cost carrier in Korea to compete with Korea's super-high speed railway network system named KTX which offers cheaper fares and less stringent security procedures. Korean Air's low-cost concept will fly Boeing 737s. Over 20 domestic destinations are planned to be part of the new domestic network.

Destinations

Main article: Korean Air destinations

Charters for 2007

Korean Air are operating charters to the following:

• Australia - (Cairns)
• China - (Hohhot)
• Jordan - (Amman)
• Malaysia - (Langkawi)
• Maldives - (Malé)

New Corporate Image

In 2004, Korean Air announced its new companywide corporate objective branded as "Excellence In Flight." As an airline that operates in an intensely competitive industry, the carrier’s new corporate image incorporates the themes of the "Spirit of the New Korea" and "At Home" to reflect a more comfortable inflight environment. This has been accompanied by various advertising and public relations advertising in Internet, print and media presenting its leadership in SkyTeam Alliance and its partner airlines.

The new corporate image changes include new employee uniforms designed by Gianfranco Ferre, a world renown fashion designer and Landor, a global brand development company; new products and interiors; as well as new services.

Launch of New Employee Uniforms and Corporate Identity

In 2005, Korean Air launched a complete company-wide enhanced rollout of new uniforms for all flight attendants, front-line employees, pilots and mechanics. This is the first sweeping uniform change for all employee groups, since the airline’s inception and rapid development. The uniforms were designed by Gianfranco Ferre,a world renown Italian designer recognized for blending east and west aesthetics, as well as traditional and modern concepts.

All uniforms incorporate celadon blue, chocolate brown, black, cream and a freshened, contemporary cut in trousers and pants for both men and women. For the redesign and in the first time of the carrier's history, female flight attendants have the option of wearing feminine suitpants in addition to the standard re-designed traditional skirt uniform, hair accessories and heels. Throughout flights both domestic and international, female flight crews also may wear selected hanbok, Korea's traditional wear.

Male flight crews, depending upon their rank and class category, wear redesigned uniforms combining a slim-cut aesthetic in both black, gray, cream and gray. Outerwear and trousers all share the common cuts and elements as do the women's uniforms, to create a sense of a unified corporate identity.

Customer service and airport staff representing the face of Korean Air have been assigned the same uniforms, as do the flight crews. Slight variations have been made and may be worn, depending upon the wearer and management's discretion in keeping with Korean Air's new corporate image. The elevation of Korean Air's new branding by Landor has been considered a contemporary blend of Korea's soothing traditional colors of accented celadon green, blue, cream, gray and black.

The roll-out of these colors have been integrated into the platforms used for Korean Air's global Internet supersite. These colors have been integrated into the in-flight experience, including catering services servingware, cabin interiors and other branded materials.

Pictures of the new uniform can be seen in the following video: [2]

Fleet

Passenger fleet

The Korean Air passenger fleet consists of the following aircraft as of August 2007:^[2]

Korean Air Fleet

Aircraft	Total	Passengers (First*/Prestige*/Economy)	Routes	Notes
Airbus A300-600R	8	266 (24/242) 276 (24/252)	Domestic/International short-medium haul Japan, China, Southeast Asia	To be phased out Replacement aircraft: Boeing 787
Airbus A330-200	3	256 (6/18/232)	International long haul Egypt, Europe, Fiji, Vietnam
Airbus A330-300	16	296 (12/28/256) 296 (24/272) 352 (24/328)	International short-medium haul Australia, Japan, China, Southeast Asia and Middle East
Airbus A380-800	(5 orders) (3 options)		International long haul North America, Europe	Entry into service: 2010
Boeing 737-700	(1 order)
Boeing 737-800	16	149 (8/141) 150 (12/138) 164 (8/156)	Domestic/International short-medium haul China, Southeast Asia
Boeing 737-900	16	188 (8/180)	Domestic/International short-medium haul China, Japan
Boeing 737-900ER	(4 orders)
Boeing 747-400	23	333 (10/61/262) 335 (12/61/262) 376 (12/58/306) 384 (16/58/310)	International long haul High-capacity short haul North America, Japan, Australia and Europe	Will be converted to Freighter Replacement aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER Airbus A380-800
Boeing 777-200ER	14 (4 orders)	261 (8/28/225) 301 (12/28/261)	International long haul High-capacity short haul North America, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and Europe
Boeing 777-300	4	376 (12/28/336)	High-capacity short-medium haul Southeast Asia, China and Japan
Boeing 777-300ER	(10 orders) (4 options)		International long haul	Replacing: Boeing 747-400
Boeing 787-8	(10 orders) (10 options)			Entry into service: 2009 Replacing: Airbus A300-600

^{*First Class is offered on domestic, short-haul Flights and international. Prestige Class is offered on international medium-long haul flights.}

Cargo fleet

The Korean Air Cargo fleet consists of the following aircraft as of September 2007:

Korean Air Cargo Fleet

Aircraft	Total	Routes	Notes
Airbus A300-600F	2	China	Converted to freighter from passenger service.
Boeing 747-400F	10
Boeing 747-400ERF	8
Boeing 747-400BCF	4 (4 orders)		Converted to freighter from passenger service.
Boeing 747-8F	(5 orders)
Boeing 777F	(5 orders)

The average age of the Korean Air fleet is 7.5 years as of February 2007.^[3] Korean Air operates 101 passenger aircraft, and 23 cargo aircraft, for a total of 124 planes as of August 31, 2007.

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.^[4] The airline is also ordering Boeing 747-8 Freighter and Boeing 777 Freighter to expand their fleet.

On 29 December 2006 Korean Air has announced that it will convert all passenger Boeing 747-400 fleet to freighters to expand its fleet.

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), as measured by international (not domestic) FTKs. During 2005, Korean Air recorded 7.982 billion international FTK, topping the charts.

Previously operated

Korean Air Retired Fleet

Aircraft	Year Retired	Replacement	Notes
Airbus A300B4-103	1997
Boeing 707-320	1980s
Boeing 720-200	1993
Boeing 727	1993
Boeing 747-200	1998
Boeing 747-200F	2006	Boeing 747-400ERF	Selling to Cargo 360
Boeing 747SP	1998
Boeing 747-300	2005	Boeing 777-200ER
Boeing 747-300C	2006		Sold to Cargo 360
Douglas DC-3	1970s
Douglas DC-4	1970s
McDonnell Douglas DC-9	1973
McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30	1996		Sold to Northwest Airlines
McDonnell Douglas MD-11	2005
McDonnell Douglas MD-82	2005	Boeing 737-800/900
McDonnell Douglas MD-83	2005	Boeing 737-800/900
Fokker F27 Friendship	1980s
Fokker F28 Fellowship	1989
Fokker F100	2005	Boeing 737-800/900	Selling to Iran Aseman Airlines
NAMC YS-11	1976

Cabin

In 2005, Korean Air invested more than one billion dollars to enhance the passenger in-flight experience by introducing new products and services. New products include new sleeper seats for First and Business Class, as well as personal In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) devices. These products are currently available in newly delivered Boeing 777-200ER aircraft as well as select Boeing 747-400 aircraft. The new cabin will gradually be added to all long haul aircraft.

As of June 27, 2007, Korean Air's new cabin is available on flights to and from Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Seattle, Atlanta, Chicago, New York, Washington D.C., Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Guam, Beijing, Shanghai, Paris, Frankfurt, London, and Manila.

First Class - Kosmo Sleeper Seat

Korean Air's new first class offers passengers a "Kosmo Sleeper Seat" that can recline to 180 degrees. Custom made for Korean Air, the new fabric seat is 30 inches wide and is equipped with privacy partitions and AVOD (Audio Visual On Demand) entertainment. Also, lumber massage, movable side armrests, a buddy seat (auxiliary seat) and individual reading lights are added to the new seat.

Business Class - Prestige Plus Seat

The new "Prestige Plus Seat" is manufactured B/E Aerospace and reclines to 170 degrees, which is almost a flat bed. The seat comes with individual reading lights, privacy partitions and AVOD (Audio Visual On Demand) entertainment.

Economy Class

Manufactured by Weber, Korean Air's new economy class features a slim-line design. Every seat is equipped with adjustable headrests, footrests, a cup holder and an 8.4" personal screen that features AVOD (Audio Visual On Demand) entertainment.

Experience

In-flight entertainment

All classes in newly retrofitted/ delivered aircraft is equipped with personal LCD touch-screens featuring AVOD (Audio Visual On Demand). The system is named SKY and manufactured by Panasonic Avionics Corporation. Offerings include a selection of over forty newly released movies, 60 short programs, over four thousand songs on 300 CDs and ten latest games. Selections also include channels dedicated exclusively to programming on contemporary Korean pop culture, music and the latest Korean movies and dramas released by major Korea broadcasting networks.

All selections are available to all passengers in various passengers' languages. Unique to the SKY system, the interactive feature allows passengers to use a "My Music" feature to customize a personal jukebox to listen to for the duration of the flight. Korean Air will roll-out enhanced video and audiovisual services through this system to all newly acquired aircraft, as it will be one of the first Asian carriers to receive the Airbus 380.

Interior

A new color scheme of aircraft seats was introduced to make passengers comfortable. Celadon green, a color that is characteristic to Korea, has been incorporated as the primary dominant colors to all First Class, Business Class and Prestige Class seats. This color is suggestive to reinforce Korean Air’s image as the nation’s flag airline.

In addition, dark blue and mocha chocolate was used for economy class seats to provide passengers with the aesthetics of a comfortable and calm environment. Korean Air engineers and customer service focus groups' conclusions and input were sought in also integrating vivid ochre, aquamarine and various tones of blue in all newly acquired aircraft to provide passengers with the sense of modernity.

Dining

Korean Air is currently introducing artistic tableware, specially designed by Kwangjuyo, Korea’s best ceramics and diningware boutique manufacturer. The enhanced tableware will also be supplemented by customized Korean Air Wedgwood flatware, which provides the official tableware to the United Kingdom's royal monarchy.

Kwangjuyo flatware emblazoned with the Korean Air logo will also feature traditional Korean brushwork in delicate tones. The flatware will feature images from an ancient Koguryo painting called "Four Seasons of White Forsythia." This distinctive artwork is native and emblematic of artwork characteristic of ancient Korean artistic traditions. These images will be laser-drawn on all First Class and selected Business Class tableware. The enhanced tableware is designed to suggest to users the traditional Korean cultural values of moderate sophistication and the beauty of empty space. Prestige Class tableware will have laser-etched and screened images of another famous Korean painting, known as the "Four Seasons of a Willow." This tableware is thoughtfully designed to allow customers to dine in an environment suggestive of calmness, delicate beauty and comfort.

Korean Air has also commissioned Kwangjuyo to redesign an enhanced offering for all its Economy Class tableware. Reports indicate that this tableware will incorporate traditional Korean shapes and this roll-out is scheduled to be completed in late 2007. The newly redesigned Economy Class tableware will be pressed into service to all flights originating from Korea, the United States and selected global destination gateways designated by Korean Air.

Korean Air offers a variety of Korean traditional meals in-flight, available in all classes. Bibimbap (Assorted vegetables accompanied with steamed rice, Korean spicy sauce red-pepper paste known as Kochujang and sesame oil), a Mercury Award winner in 1997, is the airline's signature offering. It has a few variations, including beef bibimbap and salmon bibimbap.

In 2006, Bibim Noodles (Spicy Korean Noodles), a newly introduced in-flight meal that was adopted in the in-flight menu as a second meal option on long haul flights, won the Mercury Award, making this the second time that Korean Air win this award. Healthy, vegetarian Korean meals have been integrated into all in-flight menus and presented by KAL Catering to all out-bound destinations in Korean Air's global network.

Other than Bibimbap and Bibim Noodles, Korean porridge (jook), bulgogi and kalbi are also available. Enhanced Korean traditional court cuisine has been launched in First Class, Business Class, Prestige Class and Premium Economy classes due to Korea's pop culture being the focus of hallyu, and in response to passengers' interest in all things Korean. Japanese style kaiseiki meals are offered to all cities to which Korean Air flies to all Japan destinations.

Korean Air is currently accelerating its in-flight meals and presentation for its passengers, as it is now one of the world's leading top twenty airlines. It is currently collaborating with in-flight consultancy services and various vendors to catapult it past other Asian competitor carriers' in-flight experience. To that end, all Korean Air flight attendants are now given mandatory training in plating and food presentation by gourmet restaurateurs and chefs in its training institutes to elevate the level of food presentation during all flights.

SKYPASS

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.

A newly re-enhanced and redesigned Skypass program was recently presented to Korean Air's customers at the same time it upgraded all of its corporate identity programs, in conjunction with Landor.

Codeshare agreements

Korean Air has codeshare agreements with the following airlines as of July 2007:

Aeroflot Aeroméxico Air China Air France-KLM Air Algérie Alitalia China Airlines China Eastern Airlines

China Southern Airlines Continental Airlines Czech Airlines Delta Air Lines EgyptAir Emirates Garuda Indonesia Hawaiian Airlines

Japan Airlines Kenya Airways LAN Airlines Malaysia Airlines Northwest Airlines Rossiya Shanghai Airlines Vietnam Airlines

Korean Air has the distinction of being a founding partner airline in SkyTeam Alliance, the world's second largest airline alliance.

Korean Air is an airline partner of Skywards, the frequent flyer program for Emirates and SriLankan Airlines. Skywards members can earn miles for flying Korean Air and can redeem miles for free flights.

Aerospace research and manufacturing

Unique to other airlines, Korean Air is also involved in aerospace research and manufacturing. The division, known as the Korean Air Aerospace Division (KAA), manufactures licensed versions of the MD 500 and UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and the F-5E/F Tiger II fighter aircraft,^[5] the aft fuselage and wings for the KF-16 fighter aircraft manufactured by Korean Aerospace Industries,^[6] and parts for various commercial aircraft including the Boeing 737, 747, 777, and the Airbus A330, and A380.^[7] KAA also provides aircraft maintenance support for the United States Department of Defense in Asia and maintains a research division with focuses on launch vehicle, satellite, commercial and military aircraft, helicopter, and simulation systems.^[8]

Incidents and accidents

• Main article: Korean Air incidents and accidents

Since 1970, Korean Air had six incidents and accidents with passenger fatalities. The last fatal passenger incident, as of 2007, was the Korean Air Flight 801 crash in 1997.

References

External links

• Korean Air
• Korean Air Cargo
• Korean Air Aerospace Division
• Korean Air Fleet Detail

•  • [ e] Members of the SkyTeam Alliance
Aeroflot  Aeromxico  Air France  Alitalia  Continental Airlines  Czech Airlines  Delta Air Lines  KLM  Korean Air  Northwest Airlines Associate members: Air Europa  Copa Airlines  Kenya Airways Future members: China Southern Airlines Future associate members: MEA  TAROM

Lists of Aircraft | Aircraft manufacturers | Aircraft engines | Aircraft engine manufacturers | Airlines | Air forces | Aircraft weapons | Missiles | Timeline of aviation