Korean Air participated as a launch customer at the rollout ceremony of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, dubbed “a super efficient airplane,” at the Boeing Everett facility near Seattle on Sunday, July 8. The…
Korean Air participated as a launch customer at the rollout ceremony of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, dubbed “a super efficient airplane,” at the Boeing Everett facility near Seattle on Sunday, July 8. The rollout ceremony was especially meaningful to Korean Air because the airline is not only part of the launch customer team awaiting delivery, but also one of the suppliers participating in the manufacturing of the state-of-the-art airplane.
“The Boeing 787 Dreamliner will enhance Korean Air’s fleet with its flexibility for both regional and long-haul operations,” said Y.H. Cho, Korean Air chairman and chief executive officer. “The 787 will help us realize our goals of being one of the world’s top ten passenger airlines by 2010. It exemplifies our long-range planning to ensure Korean Air’s capabilities to cost efficiently meet future competition and market demand.”
The 787 aircraft is made of composite materials instead of the aluminum normally used to manufacture aircraft, reducing the plane’s total weight significantly and saving up to 20% more fuel than existing mid-range aircraft, making it environmentally preferred as well.
The Dreamliner has two engines and is capable of flying more than 15,700 km – enough for use on Korean Air’s transpacific routes. In addition to bringing large-jet ranges to mid-size airplanes, the 787 will fly at Mach 0.85, as fast as today`s fastest commercial airplanes, while using much less fuel. It is also expected that the 787s will reduce maintenance expenses by up to 30%.
In April of 2005, Korean Air became a launch customer for this new aircraft with ten firm orders. Delivery will begin in 2009 and extend through 2013. The deal also includes an option for ten more 787s, giving Korean Air flexibility in its long-term fleet planning. The 787s will be a centerpiece to Korean Air’s long range fleet operation along with Boeing 777-200ER/300ERs and Airbus A380s that are also on order. The 787s will be used to expand long range routes and widen Korean Air’s network to destinations in South America and Africa, while Airbus 380s and Boeing 777s will operate to major destinations in North America and Europe.
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