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Korean Air launches new Airbus A350-900 service from Seoul-Incheon
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Korean Air | Official Website

Korean Air has begun operating its new Airbus A350-900s on short-haul routes from Seoul-Incheon to Osaka and Fukuoka in Japan. The airline, South Korea's largest and the country's flag carrier, recently received the first two of these aircraft following a significant order placed in March 2024 for 33 new Airbus A350s.

The airline announced that operations with the new A350-900s commenced on January 27. The first aircraft is being used twice daily on the Seoul-Incheon to Osaka route, while the second serves the Seoul Incheon-Fukuoka route once a day. Korean Air plans to expand these routes further, with flights to Taiwan and Western Europe anticipated by late 2025.

"Korean Air will continue to expand its fleet with both A350-900 and A350-1000 variants," said Korean Air. They also noted that "the addition of the A350-900 to Korean Air's fleet addresses growing passenger demand, and will strengthen the carrier’s fleet capacity as it continues its integration with Asiana Airlines."

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The Airbus A350-900 is designed for long-haul travel but can efficiently operate on regional routes due to its advanced design features like carbon composite materials and Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. This aircraft offers improved passenger comfort with quieter cabins and higher cabin pressure.

Configured with 28 Prestige Class seats and 283 economy class seats, Korean Air's A350-900 provides various amenities including fully-flat beds in Prestige Class and enhanced seating arrangements in Economy Class.

Korean Air operates several other aircraft types on its Japanese routes, including Boeing 787 Dreamliners, Boeing 737 family jets, Boeing 777-300ERs, Airbus A330-300s, and Airbus A321neos. Other South Korean airlines such as Asiana Airlines, T'way Air, Jin Air, Jeju Air, Air Busan, Air Seoul, and Eastar Jet also serve these routes. However, no Japanese airlines are currently operating between Seoul-Incheon and Fukuoka; only Peach operates between Seoul-Incheon and Osaka-Kansai.

The dominance of South Korean airlines on these routes may be influenced by historical tensions between South Korea and Japan or competitive dynamics within the airline industry. Notably, Japan Airlines maintains a codeshare agreement with Korean Air.

Korean Air is expanding its fleet significantly through acquisitions from its merger with Asiana Airlines alongside new orders for various Airbus models. While it initially planned to retire its Airbus A380 Superjumbos by 2026 due to efficiency concerns compared to newer twin-engined models like the A350s or Boeing 787s/777s series planes - recent reports suggest potential delays in retirement amid global production constraints faced by major manufacturers such as Boeing & Airbus themselves which affects supply chain logistics worldwide across industries alike!

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