Korean Air’s first Boeing 737-8 of 30 on order was delivered to Seoul Incheon Airport on Sunday, February 13, 2022. The aircraft will begin operations from March 1st, after undergoing standard safety procedures. Korean Air expects to receive six MAX 8s this year.
On Monday (February 14, 2022), Korean Air announced the delivery of the first of 30 Boeing 737-8s on order, which arrived at Seoul Incheon Airport on Sunday, February 13, 2022. The aircraft order was originally placed in November 2015, and the carrier expects to receive the first six aircraft this year. The new Boeing 737-8 is scheduled to begin operations on March 1st, 2022, after undergoing a series of standard safety procedures. The Boeing 737-8 is an eco-friendly aircraft offering superior efficiency and operational capabilities, and has demonstrated high operational reliability, with a 99.38 percent on-time performance over 898,737 flight hours logged thus far.
In Monday’s announcment, Boeing Commercial Airplanes’ Vice President of Commercial Sales and Marketing, Ihssane Mounir, said,
“The 737-8 will enable Korean Air’s continued growth through improved efficiency and operational cost performance. This milestone delivery will further enhance Korean Air’s domestic and regional capabilities and we are dedicated to supporting the airline as they integrate these new airplanes into their world-class fleet." A statement from a Korean Air spokesperson in Monday’s announcement, added,
“We have sent our mechanics to other overseas airlines that already operate the aircraft and adapted our own maintenance manual for training so that our team can perform standardized maintenance under any circumstances. We have also updated the flight operation manuals to prepare against all possible situations during flight, and have conducted pilot training for these situations using our own 737-8 simulators.”
The aircraft is powered by the latest generation CFM International LEAP-1B engines and features split-scimitar winglets that reduce aerodynamic drag, resulting in a 1.8 percent decrease in fuel consumption. The advanced winglets are manufactured by Korean Air’s Aerospace Division and supplied to Boeing. The 737-8 can operate with 15 percent less fuel, lowering operating costs per seat by 12 percent, and reducing carbon emissions by 13 percent compared to the Boeing 737 NG.
Korean Air’s new Boeing 737-8 is configured with 146 seats, including eight Prestige Class and 138 Economy Class seats. The aircraft features the Boeing Sky Interior which offers guests a roomy and comfortable space with a streamlined ceiling, large overhead bins and variable LED mood lighting.
Source: Korean Air