Following an announcement earlier this week of a large order from Airbus for 30 A321 aircraft, Korean air today finalized the purchase 30 Boeing 737 MAXs and two 777-300ER (Extended Range) jetliners valued at nearly $4 billion at current list prices.
The airline also said it has options for additional 737 MAXs as part of the order, which was previously announced as a commitment during the Paris Air Show in June.
With this order for up to 52 Boeing airplanes, Korean Air becomes Boeing’s newest 737 MAX customer and now has 62 firm Boeing airplane orders on backlog.
“Korean Air is a valued Boeing customer and today’s order is the culmination of our longstanding partnership that spans over four decades,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Ray Conner.
“Korean Air has been a pioneer in Asia’s commercial aviation industry and today, we are truly honored to welcome Korean into the new 737 MAX family. I am confident these new airplanes will play an important role in Korean Air’s fleet modernization program for many years to come.”
As part of this order for 737 MAX airplanes, Korean Air also adds another two 777-300ERs as it continues to modernize its long-haul widebody fleet.
Korean Air currently operates a fleet of 91 Boeing passenger airplanes that consist of 737, 747 and 777 models. The airline also operates an all-Boeing cargo fleet of 28 747-400, 747-8 and 777 Freighters.
Korean Air, with a fleet of 166 aircraft, is one of the world’s top 20 airlines, and operates more than 430 flights per day to 128 cities in 45 countries. It is a founding member of the SkyTeam alliance, which together with its 20 members, offers its 612 million annual passengers a worldwide system of more than 16,000 daily flights covering 1,052 destinations in 177 countries.
