Airbus: Korean Air announces order for 33 A350s worth $13.7 billion

Boeing’s setbacks could benefit the European manufacturer. Korean Air will place an order with Airbus for thirty-three A350 aircraft – twenty-seven A350-1000 and six A350-900 – valued at $13.7 billion, the company said in a press release on Thursday. The South Korean airline intends to strengthen its fleet after the European Union approved the takeover of Asiana Airlines.

“The purchase of the new generation of environmentally friendly A350 not only aligns with the airlines’ sustainability efforts, but also prepares for the integration of Asiana Airlines,” Korean.Air said in a press release. The A350-1000s are the largest in the A350 family and can fly “up to 16,000 km (9,942 miles) with a full payload” of up to 410 passengers, the airline added. “The aircraft uses modern composite materials, which reduce fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by up to 25%. »

Black stripe for Boeing

The smaller A350-900 variant can carry 300 to 350 passengers in a three-class configuration on long-haul flights with a range of 15,370 kilometers, the company said. Korean Air has always favored Boeing over European manufacturer Airbus, but the American has been hit hard by a series of safety problems: an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 narrowly avoided disaster in January when a piece of the fuselage broke off. turns off mid-flight.

The company now plans to turn to both suppliers and said it plans to add “fifty Airbus A321neos, ten Boeing 787-9s, twenty Boeing 787-10s and thirty Boeing 737-8s” to its fleet. She said the purchases are aimed at prioritizing fleet modernization and reducing carbon emissions with the new aircraft. The takeover of Asiana is currently on hold after receiving the green light from US antitrust regulators.