|
|
Korean Air is a private airline based in Korea. It is the largest airline in Korea and one of the largest in Asia. Korean Air network is spread over Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, North America, and South America. The main hub of Korean Air is Incheon International Airport.
The history of Korean Air can be traced back to 1948 when Korea National Airlines (KNA) a private airline was established. The airline failed to cater to demands of air traffic and went bankrupt in 1962. In the same year, Korean government founded Korean Air Lines. But this enterprise also failed. In March 1969, Korean Air Lines was privatized and was acquired by the Hanjin Transport Group. In 1973, Korean Air Lines introduced Boeing 747s on its Pacific routes and started a European service to Paris using the 707s. The airline changed its name to Korean Air in 1984 and in 1986 it became the first airline to use the new MD-11 to supplement its new fleet of Boeing 747-400s.
As of July 2006, Korean Air had a fleet of 117 aircrafts. This included 24 B747-400, 1 B747-400C, 11 B777-200, 4 B777-300, 3 A330-200, 16 A330-300, 10 A300-600, 30 B737, and 18 B747-400F. As of July 2006, Korean Air flies to 103 destinations around the world. In India, Korean Air flies passenger flights to Mumbai, and cargo flights to Chennai and New Delhi.