Korean Air plans major upshift in operations after big aircraft order

 

Korean Air is planning major increases in its services after announcing ts largest-ever order of new aircraft.

The airline has this week ordered 103 planes from Boeing in a deal that travel news hub Travel Mole reports is worth about $US36 billion.

The order includes narrow and wide bodies with Boeing 787 Dreamliners, 777 and 737 jet aircraft.

Boeing’s commercial planes chief, Stephanie Pope, called it a "landmark agreement".

Korean Air will buy 50 Boeing 737-10 jets and 45 787 and 777 long-range jets.

The airline has also ordered eight 777-8 Freighter cargo jets.

Boeing says the order will provide work for about 135,000 people across the US.

Korean Air has placed orders for more than 150 planes with Boeing so far this year.

Qantas unveils more flights but chops Seoul

 

Qantas continues to grow its international flight network, but is chopping flights to Seoul, the capital of South Korea, the airline says.

 

The Australian flag carrier has announced changes to key routes to the US, Asia and the Pacific, including launching a new route to Palau. 

From February 2025, the national carrier will add around 220,000 seats to its international network over 12 months compared to its current schedule. 

This is made possible by the launch of its new Brisbane-Palau route, along with the return of two Airbus A380s following maintenance and cabin modifications, as well as the arrival of more next-generation A220 aircraft for QantasLink.

The changes will see Qantas boost capacity to the US by 13%. 

Customers will benefit from the return of the airline’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft to Brisbane, with the option of premium economy and more seats when travelling to Los Angeles and Auckland.

Qantas will add Palau to its map for the first time, operating weekly flights from Brisbane to the Pacific Island with its 737 aircraft.

The service, to be known as the Palau Paradise Express will operate as part of a contract awarded to Qantas by the Federal Government and will help maintain strong trade and tourism links between Australia and Palau. 

QantasLink’s new A220 aircraft will make its debut on the international network when the airline commences flying between Darwin and Singapore in March next year. 

Qantas will cease flying between Sydney and Seoul from mid-June next year, while Jetstar will increase flights from four per week to daily. 

“We’re so excited to be offering our customers more than 220,000 additional seats on our network, a new international destination, and our brand-new A220 aircraft for our Singapore-Darwin flights, which will be the first of its kind to operate out of Singapore," says Qantas Group International CEO Cam Wallace.

“We’re also looking forward to seeing more of our A380s return to the skies and offering more premium seats for customers to book to some of our popular international destinations.

“As part of our historic fleet renewal program, these changes are about having the right aircraft on the right route and responding to growing customer demand.

“Qantas launched flights to Seoul after the pandemic, and now that demand has normalised, it’s grown substantially as a leisure market, opening up a great opportunity for Jetstar to increase its frequencies and allow Qantas to redeploy its aircraft to other routes where we are seeing strong demand."

Virgin Australia invests in the future

Virgin Australia Group this week announced announced the imminent arrival of four additional Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

The Boeing aircraft are in addition to another four MAX 8 aircraft announced in April 2022, and will reduce emissions by 15% per flight, the airline said in a press release.

First delivery of the additional Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft is expected in 2023.

Virgin Australia Group CEO Jayne Hrdlicka said the announcement demonstrates the airline’s commitment to the Australian aviation market and to sustainably grow its fleet for long-term success.

“The future of Virgin Australia is bright and we have highlighted our commitment to maintain strong competition for Australians who want to travel and experience great value," she said.

"It also underscores our confidence in our underlying performance and commitment to Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050.

“Despite the challenges faced by our industry, demand for travel remains strong and we’re responding with a focus on the long-term by increasing the efficiency and sustainability of our fleet with four additional Boeing MAX 8s joining our fleet from 2023."