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By Kim Jae-won
Korean Air to buy 11 fuel-efficient Boeing aircraft
Korean Air said Wednesday that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Boeing to buy 11 fuel-efficient aircraft.
The MOU calls for five B747-8I and six B777-300ER passenger jets to be delivered from 2016. The carrier did not elaborate on the financial costs of introducing the aircraft.
The purchase will "enable Korean Air to strengthen its service competitiveness and to cope with environmental issues efficiently," the carrier said in a statement.
It said both the B747-8I and B777-300ER show 14 percent better fuel efficiency than the B747-400s. It will dispose its 15 remaining B747-400s by 2017 and replace them with efficient aircraft.
The carrier will put the planes into operation starting in 2016. It will also introduce 64 hi tech aircraft by 2018, including 10 Boeing B747-8Is, 10 B787-9 Dreamliners, four Airbus A380s and 10 Bombardier CS300s. Korean Air operates a fleet of 149 planes as of June.
