Seoul, Korea (June 4, 2008) /ChinaNewswire.com/ — Air Korea, the premium short-haul carrier subsidiary of Korean Air, is smoothly cruising towards inauguration this coming July. Looking to create a new splash in the Korean aviation industry, the airline is preparing for an orderly operation by acquiring the necessary licenses, systems, aircraft and facilities, as well as human resources needs.

Mr. Jae Kun Kim, CEO of Air Korea, said: "Air Korea is not the average low-cost carrier. It is a carrier focused on short-haul routes with simple but sophisticated services at affordable prices while maintaining essential operating procedures at premium levels. For example, our safety-related work is outsourced to Korean Air, which has 40 years of experience from its own global operation."

Air Korea was established in January this year, following five years of market watch by Korean Air. After obtaining Scheduled Air Transportation Business license from the Korean government in April, Air Korea is currently under way to acquire Air Operator Certificate (AOC).

Air Korea's inaugural flight will be from Seoul to Jeju, using a Boeing 737-800 aircraft with 189 seats. The airline will acquire two more Boeing 737-800 aircraft this year and two Airbus A300-600 aircraft with 292 seats next year. Air Korea has already secured an office and operational space in Gimpo (GMP), Jeju (CJU) and Busan (PUS) airports.

In April this year, Air Korea started recruiting 20 employees, for which more than 3,000 applicants submitted their resumes, showing a competition rate of over 150 to 1. Air Korea plans to complete the employment of nearly 70 staff members by early June to get ready for its inaugural flight, and increase the number to 120 by the end of the year.

Entering the market as a young and innovative airline, Air Korea will present a new model of airline operation, balancing practical services and premium operating standards to provide affordable flight services to meet all passengers' needs.

Special Features

New Boeing 737-800 Aircraft
Air Korea will use state-of-the-art Boeing 737-800 aircraft for its inaugural flight in July. This will be the first time a jet-engine aircraft is used by a Korean premium short-haul carrier. Air Korea expects to improve passengers' flying experience through the use of the newest aircraft possible. Presently in Korea, only Korean Air operates 16 Boeing 737-800 aircraft for domestic and short-haul international flights.

100% Internet-based Reservation
For the first time among Korean airlines, Air Korea will establish a 100% Internet-based reservation system, which will open in mid-June. Eliminating the need for a call-center, this is expected to lower operational costs considerably.

No Seat Number
To reduce the time at airport check-in counters, Air Korea will not assign seat numbers for each individual passenger. Instead, it will divide the Boeing 737-800 cabin into three zones, and simply designate which zone passengers should be seated according to their time of arrival at the airport.

Multi-tasking Staff
Air Korea staff can do more than one job, creating much synergy through multi-functional job allocation.

[smpr_tags]Air Korea, Korean Aviation Industry[/smpr_tags]

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