Korean Air adds A321neo to fleet
Korean Air’s A321neo raises the cabin experience with a raft of features including lie-flat seating
Korean Air has introduced its new A321neo with fully lie-flat Business Class seats, becoming the first Korean airline to offer this feature on a narrow-body aircraft.
With a total of 182 seats, the airline’s first A320 Family aircraft will mostly operate on short-haul routes, including Southeast Asia, China and Japan.
The move also sees Korean Air become the first Asian airline to feature Airbus’ Airspace cabin on an A321neo.
“We are delighted to receive our first A321neo, which will be a great asset to our fleet, network and passengers,” said Soo Keun Lee, Executive Vice President and Chief Safety & Operation Officer of Korean Air in a statement. “This fuel-efficient, next-generation A321neo will bring our customers’ experience to a new level with the award-winning Airspace cabin and fully lie-flat business class seats.”
Korean Air will offer a total of 182 seats, eight in Prestige class, the first time 180-degree flat-bed seats will be available in the Prestige class of the airline’s narrowbody fleet and 174 seats in Economy Class on the aircraft.
The Business Class seats use patterns inspired by patchwork, with their fabric blend of dark gray and gold adding to the luxurious cabin atmosphere. Each seat is also equipped with a 44-cm personal monitor for audio/video-on-demand services along with a wireless smartphone charger.
In the Economy Class, passengers can access inflight entertainment on a 33-cm personal monitor, which is the largest in the airline’s narrow-body fleet. An adjustable headrest and individual coat hook are also installed for each seat. The Economy Class seat fabric includes a woven pattern with bold colors to create a unique look and feel.
Inflight connectivity will be available from the first half of 2023.
“By adding the A321neo to its fleet, Korean Air will benefit from enhanced operational efficiency and the highest levels of in-flight comfort,” said Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Airbus International. “With the A321neo’s per-seat fuel improvements of at least 25% compared with Korean Air’s previous generation same-sized fleet, the airline will reduce its operating costs significantly, as well as emissions at the same time.”
The introduction of the A321neo is part of the airline’s fleet modernization plans, which will see the delivery of 30 A321neo aircraft by 2027.
