First Fully Equipped Aircraft put into service at Korean Air

Korean Air has introduced its first fully equipped aircraft with Audio Visual on Demand (AVOD) for all three classes of service, inflight internet options, new comfortable seats, and new interior environment.

As part of the airline's vision to be a respected leader in the world airline industry, Korean Air made the commitment in 2004 to introduce a new corporate image and inflight services on par with other leading global airlines. The airline announced that its new incoming aircraft this year will be fully equipped and the first to enter the fleet is a B777-200ER which was added to the Incheon~LA flight today.

Korean Air plans to fully equip its aircraft to be used on all mid to long haul routes. Passengers have indicated that inflight entertainment and convenient services such as internet availability are a top priority and Korean Air has responded by investing in such services.

The first fully equipped aircraft added to the Incheon~LA route will be joined by the addition of another fully equipped aircraft later expanded to other US routes. By the end of this year, currently operating aircraft including five B747-400s and two B777s will be in service. By 2007, all B747 and B777 to be used on long haul fleets will be equipped by end of 2007.

"With the introduction of our new aircraft, Korean Air will be able to aggressively compete with other leading global carriers and we will be the airline that is able to win customers with our strong brand recognition," said Yang Ho Cho, chairman and CEO. He added, "We are making the effort to differentiate our services and these are all a part of our efforts to become one of the top ten leading carriers in the global airline industry."

New Cocoon Sleeper Seats

Korean Air is introducing new cutting-edge cocoon-style sleeper seats to its B747-400 long haul fleet. The seats, custom made for Korean Air, will be introduced to the B747-400 in stages and added to long-haul US and Europe routes. The new seat features 30-inch wide fabric seats that recline to 180 degrees, with privacy partitions and individual in-flight entertainment functions including Audio Video on Demand (AVOD), internet/email service, and a 15-inch inch LCD monitor screen. Other newly added functions to the First Class seats are lumber massage, movable side armrests, a buddy seat (auxiliary seat) and individual reading lights.

Korean Air Prestige Plus Seats

The new Prestige Plus Seats for business class will also be added in stages to the B747-400's and B777-200s and made available for mid-long-haul routes. These seats will feature similar entertainments systems as offered in First Class. The biggest change from the current Business Class is the angle of recline. Currently, business class seats recline 138 degrees, but the new seats recline up to 170 degrees providing an almost flat bed.

Audio Visual on Demand (AVOD)

Since 2003, Korean Air has been introducing Audio Video on Demand (AVOD) for First Class and Business Class on mid-long haul routes including US, Europe, and Southeast Asia flights. One of the most advanced in-flight entertainment systems, the AVOD systems will gradually be added to all three classes. The AVOD system gives passengers a choice of 36 movie channels and a selection of more than 1,000 different music choices. In addition, passengers will have a choice of a variety of games and be able to access flight information at their convenience.

Inflight Internet Service

Passengers will be able to enjoy high speed internet services inflight. There are currently four aircraft that have these services. By the end of this year, 14 aircraft will have these services and by the end of 2006, 43 aircraft will have inflight internet available. By 2008, all mid-long haul flights will have these services available onboard. Passengers will have access to LAN or use wireless LAN cards.

Aircraft Modernization

As of August 2005, Korean Air has a total of 1145 aircraft in its fleet. Korean Air continues its aircraft modernization plan as it adds new aircraft to the fleet. This year, five aircraft - B777-200, B737-900 will be added. Eventually the fleet will consist of B747-400 and A380 for long-haul flights. B777, B787 and A330 for mid-range flights and B737NGs for short-haul flights.

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