In March 2024, Korean Air placed an order for up to 33 Airbus A350s, including six A350-900s and 27 A350-1000s. Well under a year later, the first of these aircraft has joined the fleet, and has entered international commercial service.
Continue reading: Korean Air Adds Airbus A350-900 To Fleet, With Surprising(ish) Interior
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
Apparently these frames are NTU units from Asiana, and Korean has a separate order for their own A350s; I can see a scenario where their own separate order is fitted with their own 2.0 suites while these ex-OZ frames get retrofitted later on.
Exactly! KAL just didn't have time to order a new seat for A359.
Nowadays, airlines should order the seats at least 3 years in advance given the supply chain issues, but it was less than a year before delivery when KAL decided to take the A359s made for Asiana.
Nothing wrong with the hard product; at least it faces forward (not diagonal - herringbone or backwards), everyone has aisle access, couples can sit close together and similar seats are still featured on Emirates, ANA and Singapore regional 787s.
I am once again begging Korean Air to finish their interior with some nicer colors
it really is not surprising that KE accepted the early OZ A350s under the merger configured as OZ specified.
It takes years to place interior equipment orders and get it delivered, either for after market overhauls or for new aircraft installation.
At some point, KE will standardize its 350-900 interiors.
I do not understand your arithmetic. You stated:
"Korean Air’s decision to order just six A350-900s might seem random, but it makes more sense in the context of the combined fleet of Korean Air and Asiana. Asiana has a fleet of 15 A350-900s, with an additional 15 A350-900s on order. So eventually, the combined airline will have one of the biggest A350 fleets in the world, with over 60 of these jets."
6+15+15 = 36.
Where did you get 60 from?
"Combined Airline"
Asiana will eventually have 30 A350-900
Korean air will have 6 A350-900
And 27 A350-1000
The complete A350 are over 60, 63 Airplane to be exact.
9-10 month delivery time when the waiting list surely is way longer than that?
Did KL have delivery slots already secured, perhaps due to new acquisition Asiana having already ordered and taken delivery of similar A350s?
Or did they nab some cancelled order slots?