Korean Air will deploy its first Boeing 787-10 on the Seoul Incheon – Bangkok route starting 1 August, making Thailand the first Southeast Asian country the airline is serving with its newest widebody.
The SkyTeam Alliance carrier, which has four daily (28 weekly) flights on the Seoul Incheon – Bangkok route, will deploy the 787-10 on six of those weekly flights. The aircraft being deployed is the airline’s first 787-10, an aircraft it received in late July. On 8 August, the number of Korean Air 787-10 flights on the route will increase to 12 times weekly.
Korean Air’s 787-10 cabin features 289 economy-class and 36 business-class seats. The 787-10 is the first aircraft to feature Korean Air’s new business-class product: Prestige Suites 2.0 offering lie-flat seats with a generous 46 inches (117 cm) of pitch and 21 inches (53 cm) of width. Large 23.8-inch (60 cm) personal 4K monitors keep passengers entertained throughout their journey. The 1-2-1 configuration ensures easy aisle access for all Prestige Class passengers. The seats also include a wireless charging pad and powerful 60W USB-C charging ports. Economy-class offers a comfortable travel experience as well. Passengers enjoy 13.3-inch (33cm) personal monitors, along with a spacious seat pitch of 32 inches (81cm) and width of 17.2 inches (44cm).
The new Boeing widebody, which has more seat capacity than the A330, is being deployed to Bangkok in response to growing passenger demand on the route, especially among business travellers.
“Thailand is a vital market for Korean Air. Many Korean companies are investing and doing business in Thailand, fuelling demand for business travel,” says Jong Min Kim, Thailand Country Manager at Korean Air. “We are deeply committed to supporting Thailand’s tourism and economic missions. With 13 gateways in North America and 12 in Japan via Seoul Incheon Terminal 2, Korean Air is dedicated to serving Thailand through our extensive global network.”
South Koreans were the third largest source of international arrivals into Thailand last year with 1.65 million arrivals, according to data from Thailand’s tourism ministry.
Meanwhile, Thailand is South Korea’s eighth largest source of arrivals according to the Korea Tourism Organization. It says there were 119,455 visitors from Thailand in January-April this year, accounting for 2.5% of South Korea’s total arrivals.