By
Anthony Tan
Virgin
Communications
email: anthonykhtan@yahoo.co.uk
 |
|
Yangho
Cho (third from the left), Chairman of Hanjin group and Walter Cho (second from
the left), president of Korean air are cutting ribbon at the ceremony with
representatives from Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
Charleston, South
Carolina (USA) – Korean Air today celebrated the delivery of its first
787-9 Dreamliner at a ceremony held at the aircraft manufacturer Boeing’s South
Carolina assembly site. Korean Air will
be the first Korean carrier to operate the Dreamliner in South Korea.
The
airline is scheduled to launch domestic flights between Seoul’s Gimpo Airport
and JeJu for a month as part of the required certification period, before
launching long-haul international routes from Seoul’s Incheon Airport to
Toronto, Madrid, and Zurich later this year.
“The
787 Dreamliner will be a key member of Korean Air's fleet as we continue to
introduce next-generation airplanes to our customers” said Walter Cho,
president of Korean Air. “The aircraft is fuel efficient, quiet, has lower
operating costs and it’s spacious and very elegant. The cabin features are impressive and will
ensure maximum comfort for Korean Air’s passengers.”
Korean
Air is scheduled to introduce five 787-9 Dreamliner to its fleet this year,
with another five joining the fleet by 2019.
"This
milestone delivery adds yet another chapter in our long and successful
relationship with Korean Air,” said Rick Anderson, vice president of Northeast
Asia Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “Korean Air continues to demonstrate
its leadership in the global commercial airline industry and we are confident
that the market-leading efficiency and comfort of the 787-9 Dreamliner will
build onto their long-term success for many years to come.”
The
Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner is an integration of cutting-edge technology developed
by Boeing utilising its accumulated production knowhow. The 787-9 is well known
for being an eco-friendly aircraft with 20 per cent less fuel use and 20 per cent
fewer emissions than the airplanes they replace. The ultra-light,
fuel-efficient aircraft is made of composite material; it also has higher cabin
humidity, wider windows and a higher ceiling, which altogether create a more
comfortable atmosphere for passengers.
Its
wing design is also particular utilising raked wingtips to increase
aerodynamics leading to fuel efficiency. The engine is also designed to be
eco-friendly by adapting a new technology for cowl which is use to cover the
engine. This significantly decreases the noise from engine slipstream, which
brings greater comfort for the passengers. Another notable technology for the
Dreamliner is that whenever the plane encounters turbulence, it has automatic
system to detect such change in atmosphere and to adjust flight status to
reduce sudden cabin movement.
A
remarkable fact is that Korean Air’s Aerospace Division is a Boeing partner on
the 787 program, by supplying the aircraft components for the model. The
carrier’s Aerospace Division has been manufacturing six core parts, such as
raked wing tips, after bodies and flap support fairing, for Boeing 787 since
2006. Korean Air is also the partner on the 747-8 programs and one of two
suppliers producing the new 737 MAX Advanced Technology Winglet.
|
