Korean Air announced that its first Boeing 737-8 MAX 8 was delivered to Incheon Airport on February 13, 2022.
The newly introduced Boeing 737-8 is scheduled to begin operations from March 1, 2022 after undergoing standard safety procedures such as an airworthiness test.
Kicking off with its first delivery of the 737-8, Korean Air is slated to receive a total of six aircraft this year. In November 2015, Korean Air signed an agreement to acquire 30 737-8s.
The 737-8 is a next-gen, eco-friendly aircraft with superior efficiency, reliability and operational capabilities. Powered by the latest CFM International LEAP-1B high-tech engines, the fleet also features the split-scimitar winglets that reduce aerodynamic drag and decrease necessary fuel amounts by 1.8%. These new advanced technology winglets are manufactured by Korean Air’s Aerospace Division and supplied to Boeing.
The aircraft can operate on 15% less fuel compared to similar aircraft, lowering per-seat operating costs by 12%. Carbon emissions will also be reduced by 13% compared to the Boeing 737 Next Generation.
The cabin is equipped with the Boeing Sky Interior, which offers customers a roomy and comfortable space with its streamlined ceiling and overhead bins. The LED lighting system also allows for lighting to be adjusted to match phases of the flight for better ambience.
Korean Air offers a total of 146 seats, including 8 in Prestige class and 138 in economy class on its new model.
Since 2019, the 737-8 has obtained airworthiness from 188 countries, after its various safety devices and software systems were strengthened through thorough inspection and upgrades. A total of 36 airlines around the world, including American, United and Singapore, operate the 737-8.
The 737-8 has demonstrated high operational reliability, with a 99.38% on-time performance over the 898,737 flight hours logged so far.
No other news, Korean Air will participate in hydrogen fuel infrastructure development:
In preparing for the future of carbon-neutral aviation, Korean Air has embarked on a project to pioneer the Korean hydrogen fuel infrastructure.
On February 9th, Korean Air signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC), Airbus, and Air Liquide to cooperate on supplying aviation hydrogen fuel and developing relevant infrastructure.
The event, which took place at IIAC’s Headquarters in Incheon, was attended by Soo Keun Lee (Executive Vice President and Chief Safety & Operation Officer, Korean Air), Hyoung-Wook Jeon (Vice President of Infrastructure Division, IIAC), Fabrice Espinosa (President, Airbus Korea), and Guillaume Cottet (President and Representative Director, Air Liquide Korea).
The MOU is aligned with Airbus’ aim to develop the world’s first zero-emission hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft by 2035, and confirms Korean Air as an active participant in welcoming this alternative energy paradigm shift.
The MOU paves way for the stakeholders to actively cooperate in various fields, from developing hydrogen infrastructure at airports, establishing a roadmap for introducing hydrogen, to ground handling logistics.
Korean Air will focus its expertise on overall operational activities, including ground handling planning, maintenance and flight operations, and IIAC on research and development of airport facilities. Airbus and Air Liquide will analyze domestic demand for hydrogen-powered aircraft, and establish a roadmap for the introduction of hydrogen fuel, respectively.
At the 2021 International Air Transport Association (IATA) Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Boston, member airlines have approved a resolution for the global air transport industry to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Korean Air, as an industry leader, is poised to apply various carbon reduction measures in its operations.
Last year, Korean Air signed an MOU with Hyundai Oilbank to manufacture and promote the application of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and also partnered with SK Energy to purchase carbon-neutral jet fuel to be used on the Korean domestic network. In addition, the airline’s introduction of Airbus A220-300 to its fleet will reduce carbon emission per seat by 25% compared to existing models of similar capacity, demonstrating its commitment to environmental awareness.
As a pioneer in the global aviation industry, Korean Air plans to proactively respond to climate change. The airline is committed to various means of carbon emissions reduction to achieve carbon neutrality, and also to the successful development of the Korean domestic hydrogen energy sector.
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Above Photo: (From left to right) Guillaume Cottet (President and Representative Director, Air Liquide Korea), Fabrice Espinosa (President, Airbus Korea), Hyoung-Wook Jeon (Vice President of Infrastructure Division, IIAC), Soo Keun Lee (Executive Vice President and Chief Safety & Operation Officer, Korean Air).
