Boeing, Korean Air and Air Lease Corporation announced on June 18, 2019, at the Paris Air Show the airline plans to add 30 new 787 Dreamliner airplanes to its fleet, with a commitment to purchase 10 new 787-10s and 10 additional 787-9 airplanes valued at $6.3 billion at current list prices.
As part of this agreement, Korean Air will also lease 10 787-10s from ALC.
The airline will introduce the larger 787-10 to complement its long-haul fleet of 787-9 and 777 airplanes.
With this order, Korea’s flag carrier will quadruple its 787 fleet to 40 airplanes as it looks to strengthen its long-haul fleet.
The 787-10 is the largest member of Dreamliner family. At 224 feet long (68 meters), the 787-10 can serve up to 330 passengers in a standard two-class configuration, about 40 more than Korean Air’s existing fleet of 787-9 airplanes.
The Korean national carrier operates a fleet of 96 Boeing passenger airplanes, including the Next-Generation 737, 747, 777 and 787 airplanes. The airline also operates an all-Boeing cargo fleet with the 747-400, 747-8 and 777 Freighters.
Korean Air selected the GEnx engine to power its 30 additional Boeing 787 Dreamliners. This selection will increase Korean Air’s GEnx-powered Dreamliner fleet to 40 aircraft.
With a fleet of 168 aircraft, Korean Air serves 126 destinations in 44 countries worldwide. It is a founding member of the SkyTeam alliance and recently formed a Joint Venture partnership with Delta Air Lines.
In addition to supporting Korean Air, ALC committed to purchase an additional five 787-9 Dreamliners, valued at $1.5 billion at list prices, during the Paris Air Show.
“Demand for reliable, versatile, and fuel-efficient airplanes is at an all-time high,” said Steven Udvar-Házy, Executive Chairman of Air Lease Corporation. “These five Boeing 787-9 aircraft are required by our airline customers to satisfy strong ALC lease placements of the 787.”