Korean Air will introduce 20 Boeing 787-10 aircraft, the largest model of Boeing's 787 "Dreamliner," for the first time in Korea. In addition, Korean Air will introduce 10 more Boeing 787-9 aircraft.
Korean Air signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Boeing to introduce the aircraft at Le Bourget Airport in Paris, France where the Paris International Air Show was held on June 18 with attendance of Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Won-tae, Boeing President Kevin McAllister in the commercial aircraft division, Air Lease Corporation President John Plueger.
Korean Air is introducing 30 state-of-the-art Boeing 787 aircraft this time in order to actively push forward with the modernization of its aircraft models, a company spokesman said. The new Boeing787 will replace the older planes among the A330, Boeing777 and Boeing 747, which are currently owned by Korean Air.
The Boeing 787-10 is the largest model in the 787 series, which will be introduced for the first time by a South Korean airline, and its fuselage is 68 meters, up about 5 meters from the Boeing787-9 model.
As a result, passengers and cargo can be transported 15 percent more than Boeing787-9. Passenger seats are available for about 40 more seats, and cargo loading space has increased by about 20 cubic meters.
Fuel efficiency is also higher. Compared to the older aircraft Boeing777-200, the Boeing787-9 has improved the fuel efficiency by 20 percent, while the Boeing787-10 has improved by 5 percentage points to reach 25 percent.
In the MOU signing ceremony, Chairman Cho said, "The Boeing 787-10 that not only has significantly improved fuel efficiency but is also capable of transporting more passengers and cargo will play a pivotal role on Korean Air's mid- and long-distance routes along with the Boeing 787-9."