Korean Air has become a new customer for the world’s only all-new large freighter, following the conversion of seven of its existing A350-1000 passenger aircraft orders to the A350F.
“Korean Air is one of the world’s largest cargo operators,” said Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, Airbus EVP Sales of the Commercial Aircraft business. “The decision to add the A350F to its fleet is therefore a very significant endorsement of the aircraft’s unique capabilities. The A350F will bring Korean Air the most efficient solution in the large freighter segment.”
The A350F features the largest main deck cargo door in the industry, with fuselage length and capacity optimised around the industry’s standard pallets and containers. Over 70% of the airframe is made of advanced materials, resulting in a 46 tonne lighter take-off weight than the competing derivative. The A350F is also the only freighter aircraft that will fully meet ICAO’s enhanced CO₂ emissions standards, coming into effect in 2027.
Currently under development, the A350F can carry a payload of up to 111 tonnes and will fly up to 4,700 nautical miles / 8,700 kilometres. Powered by the latest Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines, the aircraft will bring a reduction in fuel consumption and carbon emissions of up to 40% when compared to previous generation aircraft with a similar payload-range capability.
At the end of September 2025, the latest generation widebody A350 Family had won 1,445 orders from 63 customers worldwide, including 65 for the all-new A350F from 10 cargo carriers and one lessor.
Korean Air has ordered a total of 33 A350 aircraft. This now comprises 20 A350-1000s, seven A350Fs and six A350-900s, of which the first two have already been delivered. In addition, the carrier has outstanding orders for 39 A321neo single-aisle aircraft.
Korean Air completes verified urban air mobility flight demonstration
Korean Air has successfully completed the Phase 2 of the Korean Urban Air Mobility (K-UAM) Grand Challenge, marking Korea’s first verified demonstration of urban air mobility operations in a metropolitan environment. The Phase 2 flight tests took place over a 12-day period from October 16 to 31 along the Ara Canal test corridor between Seo-gu and Gyeyang-gu in Incheon, covering an airspace of approximately 44.57 square kilometers.
On October 16, Korean Air, together with Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC) and KT, was designated as one of Korea’s first UAM traffic management demonstration operators. As the lead organization for both flight operations control and traffic management during the demonstration, Korean Air successfully executed key missions including:
- Mitigating safety risks associated with low-altitude urban flights;
- Coordinating seamless airspace handovers between multiple operators and traffic management systems for multi-route operations;
- Ensuring operational stability during unexpected or abnormal situations through extensive simulations.
Building on its decades of experience as a global airline, Korean Air showcased the capabilities of its proprietary UAM operations and traffic management platform, ACROSS (Air Control & Routing Orchestrated Skyway System). The system enables real-time flight path monitoring, optimizes air traffic flow, and provides alternative routing in emergencies, ensuring safe and efficient operations in complex urban airspace.
Korean Air will continue to work closely with government and industry partners to support Korea’s UAM commercialisation goals and establish a robust UAM ecosystem. The airline also plans to further enhance and automate its ACROSS system through ongoing government-led research and development initiatives.
The K-UAM Grand Challenge is a national demonstration program designed to verify the safety and establish operational standards for UAM commercialisation in Korea. As part of the “K-UAM One Team” consortium, Korean Air collaborates with Incheon International Airport Corporation, KT, Hyundai Motor Company and Hyundai Engineering & Construction to drive Korea’s next-generation mobility vision.
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