Seoul: Korean Air announced an order for 33 new-technology long-haul widebody aircraft with Airbus including 27 A350-1000s and six A350-900s.

The order is valued at USD 13.7 billion at list prices and will supplement the carrier’s long-term fleet operations, said Korean Air, as the airline gradually retires its older aircraft.

The move follows the airline’s preparation to integrate Asiana Airlines into its business, further mentioned Korean Air. Asiana already operates 15 A350-900s and has 15 additional 900s and larger 1000s on order.

The A350-1000 is the largest variant in the A350 family with a capacity to accommodate up to 410 passengers in a standard three-class configuration.

With the move, Korean Air will join the likes of Cathay Pacific Airways, Japan Airlines and British Airways, among others, in operating the A350-1000.

The airline informed to deploy the aircraft on its long-haul routes such as Seoul Incheon-New York, where the airline currently operates two daily flights.

In addition to the agreement to purchase 33 A350s, Korean Air also plans to introduce 50 Airbus A321neos, 10 additional Boeing 787-9s, 20 787-10s and 30 737 Max 8 aircraft.

By this summer, Korean Air expects to return to approximately 96 per cent of pre-pandemic capacity levels, claimed the airline.

It may be mentioned here that the flag carrier of Korea currently serves 111 cities in 40 countries on five continents with a fleet of 160 aircraft with its global hub at Incheon International airport.