A PERFECT - Orient Aviation

CUSTOMER PROFILEKorean Air: Five A380s on order, three optionsand a strong contender for A380 freightersIn September 1974, Korean Air (KAL) became thethird airline in the world, and the first outside Europe,to order Airbus aircraft. In 2003, KAL broke newground again with Airbus when it became one of thefirst airlines to order the A380. Five A380s will arrivein Seoul between 2007 and 2009. The carrier hasoptions on an additional three of the big jets and is astrong contender for A380 freighters.TIES THAT BINDBy Tom BallantyneThe ties between Korean Air(KAL) and Airbus have beenstrong from the day in 1974when the carrier became thefledgling manufacturer’s firstAsia-Pacific customer. That bond becameeven stronger in 2003 when KAL signed forfive A380s together with three options.For KAL chairman and chief executive,Yang-Ho Cho, there was never any doubtthat if the Seoul-based flag carrier was toachieve its ambition of growing from whatis already a major global operator to membershipof the exclusive world airline top 10,the Airbus A380 had to be a key componentof an expanding fleet.He was not only thinking of the airline.Blessed with a new US$5 billion internationalairport at Incheon, near Seoul, as abase – it opened in 2001 – Cho believed thelinkage between the aircraft and the 24-hour hub was critical.“Our decision to purchase the A380 aircraftmeets our strategy to reinforce IncheonInternational Airport as the strongest hub inNortheast Asia. As one of the leading airlinesin Asia, our long-term fleet plan playsa significant role in this strategy,“ said Cho.In April, as part of that long-term plan,KAL ordered 10 Boeing 787s for deliverybetween 2009-2011 to replace ageingA300-600s.KAL operates 117 aircraft with around400 daily passenger flights to 90 cities in 33countries, ranking it the 15th largest airlinein the world.But Cho and his management team aimto be in the top 10 by 2010.Even earlier, in 2007, KAL plans tobecome the world’s largest cargo operator.It currently lies second in the cargorankings. The carrier is a contender for theA380 freighter version.“The A380 will mark the beginning ofa new generation of air travel and the introductionof the A380 to our fleet meetsKorean Air’s corporate mission ofExcellence in Flight – our long-term commitmentto pursuing service, operationaland innovative excellence,” said Cho.“We are focused on offering a newdimension of service to our customers and8 ORIENT AVIATION / A380 Quarterly Update JUNE – AUGUST 2005