Korean Air, South Korea’s flagship airline, celebrated the delivery of its first A380 in Toulouse, marking another milestone in the airline’s history and in its long-term partnership with Airbus. Yang Ho Cho, chairman and CEO of Korean Air; Tom Enders, president and CEO of Airbus; Louis Gallois, CEO of EADS; and senior management of the attending parties and other aviation companies involved in the aircraft’s production attended the delivery ceremony to witness the moment.
“Korean Air was the first airline to purchase an Airbus aircraft outside Europe,” said Cho. “The exceptional, fuel-efficient A380, which has now become an essential part of our fleet, perfectly assists Korean Air in advancing our goal of becoming a respected leading global carrier. It will strengthen our fleet and help Korean Air connect the world in comfort and with convenience.”
Configured in a three-class layout with just 407 seats, the lowest configuration of any A380 operator so far, Korean Air’s double-decker A380s feature unique amenities with 12 First Class Kosmo Suites and 301 Economy Class seats on the main deck and 94 fully lie-flat Prestige Sleeper seats in Prestige Class (business class) on the upper deck. The carrier is the first to devote an entire deck of the giant aircraft to one class.
Korean Air will be the first airline in the industry to have a “Duty Free Showcase” on its new A380 aircraft. The unique feature will have a variety of duty-free products displayed, such as cosmetics, perfumes, liquor and accessories, with a dedicated cabin crew member on hand to assist and advise passengers with their shopping. The airline also unveiled another unique feature of its A380, the onboard bar and lounge area where passengers can sample Korean Air’s selection of cocktails.
Korean Air’s first A380 will arrive in Korea on June 2 after finishing final flight and ground tests in Toulouse. The new aircraft will then go through the required flight tests in Korea and will make its inaugural flight to Tokyo Narita in mid June. Korean Air will be the sixth operator of the A380. The airline has ordered 10 A380 aircraft with the first five to be delivered by the end of 2011 and an additional five by 2014. Korean Air will initially operate the A380 from Seoul to destinations in Asia, followed by non-stop long-haul services to North America and Europe.
Korean Air, with a fleet of 134 aircraft, is one of the world’s top 20 airlines, and operates almost 400 flights per day to 112 cities in 39 countries. It is a founding member of the Sky Team alliance, together with its 13 members, which offers its 395 million annual passengers a worldwide system of more than 13,000 daily flights covering 898 destinations in 169 countries. For more information, visit www.koreanair.com.
Steele Luxury Gay Travel
www.steeletravel.com