Korean Air is reportedly considering purchasing additional Boeing 787s following new comments from its chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
Cho Won-Tae spoke with Bloomberg exclusively and detailed the airline’s long-term ambitions, which include significant growth and a focus on fleet renewal.
As part of those extensive plans, the company wants to purchase at least 30 more aircraft, with Boeing looking the likely favourite and the 787 touted as the favourite.
Preparing For Asiana Airlines
The purchase of the Boeing 787 aligns with the company’s continued ambitions of taking over Asiana Airlines in a current ongoing merger.
Once the merger is finalised, approval from the U.S. will still be required, and the two airlines will be forced to make tough decisions regarding their fleet.
Furthermore, the pair will look to streamline elements of the business considerably, and in preparation for this aircraft purchase, more Boeing 787s will be important.
If all goes according to plan, Korean Air hopes to achieve full approval for the merger with the US government in October 2024, which is the last to come. Several changes have needed to be made following the EU’s questioning of specific elements.
Korean Air has been forced to amend parts of the takeover and merger that will impact its ability to offer freighter services. These restrictions followed concerns over the market share Korean Air would impact competitors. However, Korean Air says it has now fulfilled everything the EU requires and awaits the US.
Months After An A350 Order
The order for additional Boeing 787s, which could be placed at the 2024 edition of the Farnborough Airshow, which is set to take place in July, would come months after another widebody order.
At the beginning of April, Korean Air finalised a purchase of up to 33 Airbus A350s and the high-capacity A350-1000. The purchase was important in aligning the airline fleet with Asiana Airlines, which also features the popular Airbus widebody.
Jason Yoo, the Chief Safety and Operating Officer and EVP at Korean Air, said the A350 purchase will drive operational efficiencies and elevate the passengers’ experience across the network.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Daniel Fowkes is a Melbourne-based aviation analyst and journalist with over a decade of industry experience. As founder of Dj’s Aviation, he delivers trusted analysis on aircraft, airline strategy and global aviation trends for djsaviation.net
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