Korean Air close to making a significant order for Airbus A350 jets
Korean Air Lines is close to making a significant order for Airbus widebody jets, according to people familiar with the matter, as the carrier looks to simplify its fleet once it merges with Asiana Airlines.
The airline plans to buy around 20 A350 jets, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the information isn’t public. The agreement could be announced as soon as this week, though the deal isn’t final and could still fall apart depending on the outcome of a March 21 board meeting, the people said.
Korean Air is also mulling adding more A321neo single-aisle planes, one of the people said. The carrier placed a 4.1 trillion won ($3.1 billion) top-up order for 20 of the jets in October, taking its total order to 50.
The airline has also been evaluating Boeing 777X, Chief Executive Officer Walter Cho said in 2022.
→ Korean Air wins European Union approval to buy Asiana Airlines
Cho said in an interview in November that the carrier was reviewing its options for a long-haul widebody jet order that would come soon.
The fleet decision comes ahead of Korean Air’s pending acquisition of Asiana, which is now just awaiting US regulatory approval. An enlarged Korean Air is aiming to reduce the many types of planes it operates across the Boeing and Airbus families to simplify operations and reduce costs.
Korean Air doesn’t operate the A350 but does fly the older generation 777, while Asiana has 15 A350s with a further 15 on order.
The order would mark Korean Air’s first widebody purchase since 2019 and be a win for the European planemaker, as the Korean carrier has previously relied more on Boeing for the majority of its fleet, Bloomberg reported.
Related Topics
Turkish Airlines Warns It Could Switch Boeing 737 MAX Order to Airbus if Engine Negotiations Fail
Airbus A320 Surpasses Boeing 737 to Become Most Delivered Aircraft in History
Boeing Prepares to Increase 737 MAX Production Starting in October
Boeing, Airbus dismiss talk of new jets: “There’s Still Time Left”
Plataforma Informativa de Aviación Comercial con 13 años de trayectoria.