Korean Air is on quite the wide body aircraft shopping spree. The airline recently placed an order for 33 Airbus A350s, and has now placed an order for two of Boeing’s wide body aircraft variants…
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Korean Air orders up to 50 Boeing wide body jets
Korean Air has just placed an order for up to 50 Boeing jets. This order is comprised of the following:
- Korean Air has placed a firm order for 20 Boeing 777-9s; the 777-9 is the larger variant of the new Boeing 777X, which is expected to be certified in 2025, and will be the largest passenger plane in production in the future
- Korean Air has placed a firm order for 20 Boeing 787-10s, with options for an additional 10 of these jets; the 787-10 is the highest capacity and shortest range version of the popular 787 Dreamliner family of aircraft
Deliveries of these planes are expected to start in 2028, so we’re still a ways off from them joining the carrier’s fleet. This is the first time that Korean Air has ordered the 777-9, while it’s a top-up order of the 787-10, as Korean Air already has 20 of those planes on order, and the first is about to enter service (with the carrier’s new business class).
Another 777X order is big news for Boeing, as the aircraft manufacturer hasn’t seen much interest for its new largest jets in recent years, given all the issues. Ethiopian Airlines recently placed an order for some 777Xs, but that’s about it.
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. This latest aircraft order is being placed as part of a fleet restructuring plan, in hopes of allowing the combined airline to streamline its fleet and grow in the future.
How these Boeing planes fit 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
- Korean Air flies the A330-200, A330-300, A380, 747-8, 777-200, 777-300, 777-300ER, and 787-9, and is about to start flying the 787-10
As you can see, both carriers have quite the varied fleet. As the airlines combine, we know the goal is to modernize the fleet. Executives have also talked about the importance of simplifying the fleet, though I’m not sure to what extent that’s really happening here, especially with the airline ordering both the A350-1000 and 777-9.
Here’s how I see this playing out way in the future (we’re talking the early 2030s):
- The 777-9 will eventually become Korean Air’s flagship ultra long haul aircraft, replacing planes like the A380 and 747-8
- The A350-1000 will become the secondary ultra long haul aircraft, replacing many routes currently operated by the 777-300ER
- The 787-10 will largely be used for high demand regional routes, plus for medium and long haul routes with slightly lower demand (but not for ultra long haul flights)
It seems that the recent orders for all these jets are largely intended to replace 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’s why I believe the 787-10s are intended to replace many of the regional 777s.
Bottom line
Korean Air has placed an order for up to 50 Boeing aircraft. This includes a firm order for 20 777-9s, plus a firm order for 20 787-10s, with an additional 10 options. These planes will be delivered starting in 2028.
When you combine this with Korean Air’s recent Airbus A350 order, the airline has quite the wide body order book. I’m curious to see how Korean Air ends up configuring all these jets.
What do you make of Korean Air’s Boeing 777-9 and 787-10 order?
What a weird mess of air frames.
The regulatory approval process taking longer than expected? No that is core of this administration when it comes to businesses wanting to buy other companies. Delay and delay the process more. Sue successful companies because their products are superior.
The term "ultra long haul" is really over-used here.
Boeing defined it (originally internally as the "C-market") as flights 16hrs or greater, and incorporated it into their design philosophy accordingly. Airbus, as flights "in excess of 15hrs."
Korean doesn't have a flight that comes anywhere near the above. IINM, their longest route is ICN-ATL, which a 747 from the '80s could easily do.
and KE could very well use its A350s to open routes that they cannot fly - not unlike what QF will do
@Tim Dunn. Curious. QF's SYD/MEL bases are uniquely ultra long-haul. Plus BNE is on the same trajectory. What are the same ultra long-haul opportunities from ICN? The geography is hugely different. JNB/CPT? GIG/GRU/EZE? Would those be commercially viable? What's the connectivity or O/D volume? I think you're reaching...
Like where?
The only region KE cannot reach with its current fleet is South America; but even the "Sunrise" edition A35Ks wouldn't grant it the range for the likes of ICN - GRU/GIG/EZE.
It could get to Lima, but gonna surmise that a low-yield cargo-heavy market that's never sustained transpacific traffic, might not be the *best* place to try an 18hr+ flight........
Korea Air is taking big risk by ordering Boeing as these planes are not really by the time specified. It should look more into Airbus aircrafts which are already certified.
This order was bound to come esp. after the A350 order. S. Korea is simply too important of a partner to the US not to include a large order for Boeing.
Ben is right that the 777-9 will become the flagship of the KE fleet while the A350s will have greater range.
ICN will become a heavy metal haven with the approval of the KE-OZ merger which will happen later this year - good thing...
This order was bound to come esp. after the A350 order. S. Korea is simply too important of a partner to the US not to include a large order for Boeing.
Ben is right that the 777-9 will become the flagship of the KE fleet while the A350s will have greater range.
ICN will become a heavy metal haven with the approval of the KE-OZ merger which will happen later this year - good thing the president isn't involved - which will lead to significant DL growth at ICN; in order for KE to integrate OZ' operation, DL will have to grow its own presence. The A350-1000s which DL will begin receiving in 2026 will be heavily used at ICN.
S. Korea is well on its way to becoming the largest hub in Asia and displacing Japan in the historic role of connecting the Americas with E. Asia.
I swear to god 90% of the time you're indistinguishable from chat GPT
Grandma,
It's the WORST when he and I keep failing the "Prove you're not a robot" tests on websites.
"...in order for KE to integrate OZ' operation, DL will have to grow its own presence."
Delta! Drink! :)
Delta and Korean recognize that ICN will become what Tokyo never can be because of Japanese government policies which have rendered Narita economically unviable for high cost airlines like American, United, JAL and ANA while HND does not have the space to integrate operations throughout Asia and the Americas as ICN can.
Korean has patiently waited for the US to approve the merger with Asiana which will provide the platform for further DL-KE growth.
Nobody cares. Notice how none of you comments get a “helpful” heart? Loser.
you do realize how diamond status on this site is earned?
by LOTS of "hearts"
Well when you write thousands of comments about Delta you're bound to rack up a few likes here and there. It's about the absolute number, not the percentage.
You throw 1000 pieces of stuff at a wall, a few pieces might stick. You’re trending towards rock bottom. Loser.
You’re jealous
You can’t get hearts as a guest
Au contraire...yes, you can
Hopefully Korean Air will also retire its A330s as well. Asiana will start to phase out its A330s from this year. Their A330s are pretty outdated in terms of both airframe age and cabin product.
Korean Air CEO once described 787s as their "future", and with them having both -9 and -10 variants, 787s will indeed play a major role in their fleet modernisation.
Ordering 20 777Xs seems a bit too much, given that they also purchased 28 A35Ks too.
There are 37 A330s between KE and OZ, which one could deduce would be replaced with the 787-10s (and maybe some of the -9s) as they arrive?
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Not really sure how you're drawing that conclusion, considering that the 20 B77Xs are meant to replace a combined 17 A380+B748i, while the 27 A35Ks are meant to replace 25 B77Ws.
That's more or less perfect fleet strategy, factoring in a few additional examples of each for growth.
The wildcard are the 787s, as while some will replace the (ancient) A330s on regional flights, KE still hasn't outlined which will be used for further longhaul growth.
77Ws ars here to stay. Why else will KAL retrofit all 25?
Glad to see this long awaited fleet rationalisation.
This should easily save hundreds of millions of dollars a year in costs for the combined carrier.