Korean Air Lines takes delivery of its first A321neo

Korean Air Lines' A321neo [KOREAN AIR LINES]

Korean Air Lines has taken delivery of its first A321neo and will start flying the aircraft in December. The airline says it will have 30 of the narrow-bodies in the air by the end of 2027.

A321neos are fuel-efficient single-aisle aircraft popular for short- and medium haul routes.

The new addition comes as the airline works to phase out older aircraft following a series of incidents involving A330s. In July, one of its A330s flying from Istanbul made an emergency landing in Azerbaijan due to engine trouble. On Oct. 23, a Korean Air Lines A330 overran a runway while trying to land at Mactan-Cebu International Airport. On Oct. 30, a Korean Air Lines A330 bound for Sydney returned to Incheon when its engine overheated.

Korean Air Lines will also be adding 10 Boeing 787-9s, 20 787-10s and 30 737-8s to its fleet by end of 2028.

It currently has 30 A330s and will gradually be phasing out six of them. Of its 40 777-200ERs, six will also be phased out.

The company plans to end the use of A380s by the end of 2026. It currently has 10 A380s, and is operating four.

The A321neo purchased by Korean Air Lines is a 182-seater that will fly short-haul routes to and from Southeast Asia, China and Japan. Korean Air Lines will be the first local carrier to offer lie-flat seats for business class passengers on short-haul flights.

Compared to standard A321neos, the overhead bin of the aircraft purchased by Korea Air Lines will be 40 percent larger.

The aircraft will use satellite connections to offer in-flight Wi-Fi. Korean Air Lines says it plans to also offer in-flight internet options for 737-8s and other planes it will acquire in the future.

BY LEE TAE-HEE [lee.taehee2@joongang.co.kr]