Korean Air has just placed a massive wide body aircraft order, and I can’t wait to see these jets in the skies.
Korean Air orders Airbus A350-900 & A350-1000
Korean Air has just placed an order for 33 Airbus A350s. This includes 27 of the larger A350-1000 variant, and six of the smaller A350-900 variant. The deal is valued at $13.7 billion based on list prices, though airlines never pay list prices for new aircraft. The timeline for these planes being delivered hasn’t yet been announced.
Korean Air is in the process of trying to acquire Asiana, to create a South Korean mega carrier. The company hopes that this deal will be finalized by the end of 2024, as the regulatory approval process has been much more drawn out than expected. The A350 order is being placed as part of a fleet restructuring plan, intended to simplify the fleet of the “new” Korean Air, while also flying a more sustainable fleet. Korean Air doesn’t currently fly A350s, while Asiana does.
Korean Air last placed a wide body aircraft order in 2019, when the airline ordered 30 additional Boeing 787s.
I have to imagine that the A350-1000 is intended to be Korean Air’s new flagship long haul aircraft, given the plane’s capacity, range, and economics. This is simply an unbeatable aircraft, and I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of a product Korean Air introduces on it. The airline is expected to introduce a new business class soon, and I imagine that will also be offered on A350s.
How the A350 fits into Korean Air’s fleet
Korean Air and Asiana are both kind of all over the place when it comes to their wide body fleets:
- Asiana flies the A330-200, A330-300, A350-900, A380, 747-400, 767-300, and 777-200ER, and also has the A350-1000 on order; the airline is in the process of retiring its last A330-200s, 747-400s, and 767-300s
- Korean Air flies the A330-200, A330-300, A380, 747-8, 777-200, 777-300, 777-300ER, and 787-9, and has the 787-10 on order
As you can see, both carriers have quite the varied fleet, and a priority for the merger is to simplify that considerably. Many of these aircraft type are being phased out, so I suspect that the goal would eventually be to primarily fly A350s and 787s.
With that in mind, I imagine this A350 order is primarily intended as a replacement for existing 777s. Asiana’s 777s are an average of over 16 years old, while Korean Air’s 777s are an average of over 12 years old.
However, there’s quite a bit of difference in age when it comes to variants in Korean Air’s fleet — 777-200s are an average of nearly 19 years old, 777-300s are an average of nearly 25 years old, and 777-300ERs are an average of under 10 years old. So that perhaps isn’t a direct replacement, since the 777-300 isn’t the longest range plane in Korean Air’s fleet.
Bottom line
Korean Air has placed an order for 33 Airbus A350s, as part of a post-merger fleet renewal plan. The airline primarily selected the larger A350-1000 variant, but is also picking up some A350-900s.
Asiana and Korean Air are all over the place when it comes to their fleets, so I can appreciate the importance of some simplification. In the long run, the combined airline will likely primarily fly Airbus A350s and Boeing 787s on long haul flights.
What do you make of Korean Air’s Airbus A350 order?
Membership is free and takes no more information than commenting as a guest. Earn status points for good contributions, and see fewer ads as your status grows.