Korean Air's A380 milestone

Sara Turner reports from the grand unveiling of Korean Air's first superjumbo aircraft in Toulouse and ventures onboard to explore how the airline plans to rival stiff competition among the A380 operators.

The delivery of Korean Air's first Airbus A380 marks a major “milestone”, said the CEOs of both the manufacturer and the airline. Speaking at the grand unveiling of the aircraft at Airbus' Toulouse factory, Korean Air's CEO Yong Ho Cho said: “Today is a milestone for Korean Air.”

The delivery of the double-decker A380 not long after the end of deeply troubled times for the aviation industry demonstrates Korean Air's plans for the long-term future, said Ho Cho, and an outlook not based on short-term profit but on long-term gain.

Korean Air's A380 features the most spacious layout of all the A380s currently in service, with 407 seats in total. Ho Cho said this is again a sign of things to come from Korean Air: “As we enter this new era of great service, we pledge to continue to set our standards high.”

Tom Enders, Airbus' CEO, at the handover of the superjumbo also used the term “milestone” to describe the significance of the event. “[It] marks a new milestone in the relationship between Korean Air and Airbus”, he said, a relationship that dates back nearly 40 years as Korean Air was the first airline outside Europe to order an Airbus aircraft – an A300 in 1974.

Continuing in the same vein, Korean Air will achieve another geographical debut in June when it will be the first airline in North-East Asia to fly the A380. The maiden voyage for Korean Air's new aircraft will be from its Seoul hub to Tokyo Narita via Hong Kong. The airline has retained Tokyo as its inaugural destination, despite the devastating earthquake and tsunami in March that has prompted many airlines to pull back on the number of flights to Japan.

In terms of the lay-out on board, Korean Air has opted to put its 12 Kosmo (first class) suites on the lower deck, along with the 301 economy class seats. The first class seats recline fully to 180º, have a pitch of 83in (211cm), a width of 27in (69cm) and a 23-inch individual screen. Economy seats have a 10.6-inch screen, a pitch of 34in (86cm), a width of 18in (46cm) and recline 118º.

The upper deck, meanwhile is entirely devoted to Korean Air's Prestige Class (business class) passengers, with 94 seats. Prestige seats recline fully to 180º, have a pitch of 74in (188cm), a width of 21.6in (55cm) and a 15.4-inch individual screen. Premium passengers will also have use of a lounge area to the rear of the plane, with sofa-style seating and a stand-up bar. The Asian airline was the first to earmark the top deck of the A380 for business passengers only, although Singapore Airlines looks likely to follow suit.

With the lay-out revealed, Korean Air will now quietly take delivery of four more A380 aircraft before the end of 2011, plus a further five by the end of 2014, bringing the total to ten. The A380 will be used on flights to Bangkok from July, followed by non-stop flights to New York in August and Los Angeles in October.

Seating aside, Korean Air's A380 claims another Asian first, as it will be powered by the Engine Alliance (a joint venture between General Electric and Pratt & Whitney) GP 7200 engine, which the manufacturer claims is the most fuel efficient option for the A380. The existing A380 fleets in Asia instead have Rolls Royce's Trent 900 engine, but the GP 7200 is a sign of things to come. Of the 234 A380s currently on order, 124 will have a GP7200 engine, 96 will have the T900, and 14 have not yet been decided on.

If the aforementioned firsts weren't enough, fierce competition in the world of the A380 operators has prompted Korean Air to improvise an additional new twist on the A380 experience. Where Singapore Airlines has double beds in first class and Air France a digital gallery, Korean Air has built the world's first onboard duty-free showcase shop. Passengers can browse, for example, samples of make-up, jewellery, sunglasses and cameras in this specially built area at the rear of the lower deck, before ordering the product to take home. Some may question the choice of removing economy seats in favour of a shop, but theory suggests that there is more money to be made from duty-free sales than one might expect.

While some have commented that Korean Air's finished A380 product may not be as glitzy or glamorous as that flown by other carriers, it does offer more space for the individual passenger - a point again highlighted by both the manufacturer and the airline - which on a long-haul flight may put it miles above the competition. Yet, by simply owning an A380, it could be argued Korean Air has already done that. As Airbus' Enders said: "We are confident that the A380 will play a key role in enabling Korean Air to further strengthen its position... We wish Korean Air the greatest possible success with its new A380 fleet."