Korean Air has announced it is to sign a contract with Airbus for 33 A350 family aircraft.

The deal, which includes 27 A350-1000s and six A350-900s, is valued at US$13.7 billion.

The airline says the order will supplement its long-term fleet operations as it gradually retires its older aircraft.

The procurement of the next-generation, eco-friendly A350 is not only aligned with the airlines’ sustainability efforts but is also seen as preparation for the integration of Asiana Airlines.

The A350-1000 is the largest in the A350 family and can accommodate from 350 to 410 passengers in a standard three-class configuration.

The aircraft makes use of advanced composite materials, resulting in a reduction of fuel consumption and carbon emissions of up to 25%, in comparison to similarly sized previous generation aircraft models.

With the longest flight range among existing passenger aircraft, the A350-1000 can operate up to 16,000km with full payload.

The A350-900 variant is approximately 7m shorter than the A350-1000 with a range of 15,370km and typically seats 300-350 passengers in a three-class layout.

Korean Air can deploy the aircraft on its long-haul routes such as Seoul Incheon-New York, where it currently operates two daily flights.

In addition to this A350 order, Korean Air says it plans to introduce 50 Airbus A321neos, 10 Boeing 787-9s, 20 Boeing 787-10s, and 30 Boeing 737-8s as it continues to prioritise fleet modernisation and reduction of carbon emissions with the operation of new aircraft and other sustainability activities.

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