Korean Air Launches Inaugural A380 Services

Korean Air, South Korea's flagship airline, is pleased to announce that the airline's first-ever A380 will begin its inaugural services between Seoul/Incheon and both Tokyo and Hong Kong from June 17, 2011 onwards. The environmentally friendly next-generation aircraft arrived in Korea at 09:00 on June 2 (local time) after successfully completing final flight and ground tests in Toulouse.

The inaugural A380 commercial flight will take off from Incheon International Airport in Seoul, Korea at 09:10am on June 17, arriving in Narita International Airport in Tokyo, Japan at 11:30 am on the same day. The same flight will then return to Seoul, departing at 20:00pm to Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong and arriving at 22:30pm (all local times) on the same date. The airline's premier A380 flight services will be allocated the codename KE380 in order to mark this special and most historic occasion.

Korean Air has ordered ten A380 aircraft with the first five to be delivered by the end of 2011 and the remaining five by 2014. The airline will gradually expand its A380 service to popular short-haul routes in Asia, such as Bangkok in July, followed by long-haul routes to glitzy destinations in Europe and North America, such as New York in August, Paris in September and Los Angeles in October 2011.

Being the first A380 operator in Northeast Asia and the sixth operator worldwide, Korean Air takes pride in the fact that it will operate one of the most spacious A380s in the industry. Configured in a three-class layout with merely 407 seats in total, the lowest configuration of any A380 operator thus far, Korean Air's double-decker A380s feature unique, top-of-the-line amenities with 12 ultra luxurious First Class Kosmo Suites and 301 Economy Class seats on the main lower deck, and 94 fully flat-lying Prestige Sleeper seats in Prestige Class (business class) on the upper deck.

Korean Air has also taken the bold step of being the first carrier globally to devote an entire deck of this giant aircraft to a single class. Moreover, in line with the airline's dedication to maintaining Excellence in Flight, all seats are installed with AVOD, Korean Air's much-praised inflight entertainment system.

In addition, Korean Air will be the first airline in the industry to have a Duty Free Showcase on its new A380 aircraft. Featuring a great variety of duty-free products, such as cosmetics, perfumes, liquor and accessories, with a dedicated cabin crew member on hand to assist and advise passengers with all their shopping needs, the Duty Free Showcase is designed to offer a brand new and sure to be highly enjoyable in-flight shopping experience for Korean Air travelers.

A stylish and comfy onboard bar and lounge area with an interior design mode fitting that of this classy, new aircraft is also installed in the airline's A380, where passengers can fully relax while sampling Korean Air's selection of exclusive cocktails during their flight.

The introduction of this super jumbo aircraft and its pioneering, spacious layout is expected to even further strengthen Korean Air's competitiveness in the premium aviation industry as a leading global carrier. By entering a thrilling, new era with its new A380 fleet, Korean Air continues with its heartfelt pledge to remain fully committed in providing excellence in flight and service, and environmental protection of the highest standards, all while going far beyond the expectations of its customers.andnbsp;

Source = etravelblackboardasia