Korean Air Celebrates 40th Anniversary: ‘Beyond 40 Years of Excellence’ Airline Announces Business Objectives for 2019

Korean Air celebrated its 40th anniversary and announced its slogan for the year and business goals for year 2019 (the 50th anniversary) at a commemorative event held at its world headquarters building in Seoul.

Korean Air Chairman Yang Ho Cho (6th from the left), other executives and employees gathered at the Korean Air 40th Anniversary Ceremony to mix a large bowl of Bibimbap, symbolizing the company’s harmony and blend.

Privatized from state-run Korean Air Lines on 1 March 1969, Korean Air started with just eight small airplanes and was a practically unknown regional carrier. Forty years later, Korean Air operates a fleet of 130 aircraft to 116 destinations in 39 countries around the world.

For 40 years, Korean Air aircraft flew over 5.87 billion kilometers. The distance is equivalent to circling the earth 146,700 times, or 7,700 roundtrips between Earth and the moon. The accumulated number of passengers so far adds up to 472.51 million and the airline has carried over 27.3 million tons of cargo over the years

The new slogan “Beyond 40 Years of Excellence” stands in line with the corporate mission of Excellence in Flight and expresses the airline’s will to further pursue its vision “to be a respected leader in the world airline community” with an innovative and youthful spirit.

On its 40th anniversary, Korean Air looked towards the future rather than reminiscing in the past, and set a goal to accomplish when it reaches its 50th anniversary. By 2019, the carrier aims to increase its number of international passengers to 20 million per year by 2019 from 13 million last year, boosting it to a global top ten ranking in the passenger field. Already the global leader in cargo, Korean Air predicts it will retain this title and increase the number of air cargo tons carried per year from 1.66 million last year to 2.5 million by 2019.

For premium service enhancement, Korean Air will offer further upgraded seats in First and Prestige classes, beginning in May with newly delivered B777-300ER aircraft. The new First Class seats offer a wider, more comfortable 27-inch seat width.

Larger 23-inch personal video monitors will to deliver the full excitement of Korean Air’s AVOD (Audio Video On Demand) system on board. The new Prestige Class seat also has a 180 degree lie-flat feature which offers customers a level of coziness that rivals seating in first class of other carriers.

In terms of fleet expansion, the airline has previously announced orders to add Boeing 787s and Airbus 380s to its fleet mix. With ten of each aircraft type on order, the first double-decker A380 will join the fleet next year, while the Boeing 787 will be added from 2011 to 2014. The fleet expansion also includes 36 additional new aircraft including the B737NG and B777-300ER types. The current fleet count of 130 will be increased to more than 180 by 2019.

The airline will continue to focus on developing high-potential new markets, enlarging its network to 140 destinations across six continents including Africa, South America and Europe.

Korean Air will also expand its business to logistics-related projects, such as the Navoi Airport Development Project in Uzbekistan, and cargo airline joint venture Grandstar, to maximize its logistics know-how and secure a broader base of growth.

The 40th anniversary of Korean Air is an important milestone in the airline’s history, and more significantly, it is the start of a new era of growth towards 100 years and more.