Korean Air to purchase 33 aircraft from Airbus for $13.7 billion

The deal involves 27 units of Airbus A350-1000s and six A350-900s, which will gradually replace Korean Air’s older aircraft.

Airbus's A350-1000 [KOREAN AIR]

Korean Air will purchase 33 aircraft from Airbus for $13.7 billion, the carrier said Thursday.

The deal involves 27 units of Airbus A350-1000s and six A350-900s, which will gradually replace Korean Air’s older aircraft.

The move is also part of the carrier’s sustainability efforts, as Airbus’ A350-1000 releases up to 25 percent less carbon emissions and has better fuel efficiency compared to other aircraft models of a similar size.

The A350-1000 is the largest in the A350 family with a flight range of 16,000 kilometers (9,942 miles), and can accommodate 350 to 410 passengers. The A350-900 variant is about 7 meters (23 feet) shorter than the A350-1000 with a range of 15,370 kilometers and typically seats up to 350 passengers.

Korean Air also plans to introduce 50 Airbus A321neos, 10 Boeing 787-9s, 20 Boeing 787-10s and 30 Boeing 737-8s.

BY SHIN HA-NEE [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]