TAIWAN: EVA Air To Feed North America Network

Regional Asia growth does not receive the attention that intercontinental long haul growth does, but regional expansion provides the foundation connections for an expanded range of long haul flights.

In Jul-2018 Eva Air inaugurated service to Chiang Mai, its 12th Southeast Asia destination. EVA Air disclosed that it is planning for its 13th and 14th destinations – Penang and Yangon. EVA Air may also fly to India.

Taiwan's Go South policy encourages the economy, transportation and tourism included to do more business in Southeast Asia in order to differentiate away from Northeast Asia and reduce reliance on mainland China.

The new destinations will also help fuel EVA's North America network, which accounts for approximately half of the airline's system-wide flying. Half of EVA's North American passengers connect beyond Taipei, mostly to Southeast Asia.

New destinations, especially those that few other competitors serve, add uniqueness. Rapid trans Pacific growth in recent years has necessitated a greater number of unique city pair combinations.

Cathay Pacific's regional arm Cathay Dragon is adding service to two Southeast Asian destinations not yet served by another Northeast Asian airline.

EVA Air is considering service to Penang and Yangon.

EVA Air studying India, dependent on aeropolitical instruments.

Taiwan is encouraging tourism and visitor growth in Southeast Asia in order to differentiate away from Northeast Asia, especially from mainland China.

Southeast Asian destination growth important for EVA Air to feed its North American network.

Taiwan is pursuing Southeast Asia tourism growth.

The new destinations, if launched, would further Taiwan's aim to grow tourism from Southeast Asia and reduce dependence on Northeast Asia.

Approximately two thirds of Taiwan's visitor arrivals are from Northeast Asia. This includes mainland China, with a 25% share of all arrivals, and Japan at 18%.

Taiwan's quest for Southeast Asia growth is partially out of opportunity, but also as a hedge should the uncertain mainland China market dip – which has occurred over the years, with significant impact on Taiwan tourism.

Taiwan visitor arrivals by market: 2017

Taiwan receives a larger share of visitors from the US before any Southeast Asia market. Taiwan's largest Southeast Asian source markets are Malaysia (5%), Singapore (4%), Philippines (3%) and Indonesia (2%).

Singapore has only a 1ppt difference from Malaysia, despite Singapore's much smaller size.

This is partially the result of LCC competition between Singapore and Taiwan with Scoot and Jetstar as well as ample full service airline capacity, as EVA Air and China Airlines use widebodies to feed their North American networks.

EVA Air has not served Penang. Penang would be a new passenger destination for EVA Air. The airline has freighter services to Penang, while China Airlines has freighter services as well as a daily 737-800 passenger service.

China Southern has twice daily Airbus narrowbody flights to Guangzhou, which connect with its North American network (albeit limited).

Penang International Airport international seat capacity by airline: week commencing 02-Jul-2018

The main competition is from Cathay Dragon, which has twice daily flights on narrowbody and widebody aircraft. Cathay Dragon's sister airline Cathay Pacific has a larger North America network but also links Penang to the rest of Northeast Asia.

No other Northeast Asian airline serves Penang with passenger service (Korean Air has freighter service). Cathay Dragon is the fourth largest international operator at Penang. 17% of Penang's international capacity is to Northeast Asia.

Penang International Airport international seat capacity by region: week commencing 02-Jul-2018

EVA Air briefly served Yangon. Yangon represents a service resumption for EVA Air, if launched. EVA Air was one of a number of airlines to launch service to Yangon after political change and an impending opening-up for business.

EVA Air entered Yangon with other Northeast Asian airlines, including ANA and what is today Cathay Dragon, both of which are able to link Yangon with their large North American networks.

EVA Air served Yangon for eight months from Oct-2012 to May-2013. Taiwan was initially a smaller business partner for Myanmar and EVA Air operated at lower frequency than Cathay Dragon. ANA also had low frequency, but operated a premium aircraft while Japan had larger business ties.

Yangon has far more Northeast Asian competition than Penang. Also, Gulf airlines are more present in Yangon. One-stop flights from Yangon to North America can be longer than transiting through a Northeast Asian hub, but fares can be low.

Gulf airlines tend to be more present in the Southeast Asia-East Coast North America market, which represents a smaller detour compared to Northeast Asia-West Coast North America.

Unlike service on Penang, the North American heavyweights ANA and Korean Air serve Yangon. Two mainland Chinese airlines – Air China and China Southern – link Yangon with their main hubs. China Eastern serves Yangon from Kunming and not Shanghai, the hub for its North American network.

Northeast Asia represents 19% of Yangon's international seats, which is a share not much higher than the 17% that Northeast Asia represents at Penang.

Yangon Mingaladon International Airport international seat capacity by region: week commencing 02-Jul-2018

India's high volumes but low yields are challenging. EVA Air has also said that it is considering service to India but would have to assess aeropolitical instruments.

Taiwan and India amended their air service agreement in 2016, with reports stating that each side was permitted 14 weekly passenger flights. The only passenger services are two weekly flights from China Airlines on the Taipei-Delhi route. This low frequency does not suggest a large unserved market.

Northeast Asian airlines have a number of challenges growing in India. Local demand is typically very small due to limited business, tourism and VFR markets – unlike in Southeast Asia.

Flights from Northeast Asian hubs to India can between five and nine hours – a long time to sustain a flight on mostly connecting traffic with little O&D traffic.

Gulf airlines do this across their network, but their market is connecting traffic, whereas Northeast Asian airlines are structured more towards a balance between O&D and connecting traffic.

The high cost of Northeast Asia-India flights is especially limiting to ANA and JAL, which are historically Northeast Asia-North America connecting airlines but have the highest cost bases in Asia.

The distance between India and Northeast Asian hubs requires a widebody aircraft to be used in most instances. Next generation narrowbodies (A321LR, 737 MAX) will only open so many markets in Northeast Asia-India.

This limits the opportunity to link thinner markets and offer high frequency, or trade three weekly widebody flights with a daily narrowbody traffic rights permitting; some are based on frequency and others on seats/units of capacity.

Southeast Asia growth fuels North America expansion. New Asian destinations will help EVA's North America network. North America accounts for 48% of EVA's ASKs, and more when the regional Asia capacity that exists largely to feed North American flying is taken into account.

An expanded Asia network can help EVA Air grow in North America while also improving the existing network.

As one-stop trans Pacific competition increases, EVA Air needs more differentiation.

EVA Air ASKs by region: Week commencing 02-Jul-2018

Should EVA Air add Penang and Yangon, it will have 14 destinations in Southeast Asia from its main hub.

In 2017, with 11 markets, EVA served the same number of Southeast Asian destinations as China Eastern did from its hub. This considers only destinations served, and not frequency, capacity or connectivity.

EVA will have much more differentiation than ANA, and come up to Korean Air. Penang and Yangon, besides being new destinations, bring more uniqueness to EVA's network.

In comparison, all of ANA's Southeast Asian destinations are served by three or more airlines in this benchmark study of leading trans Pacific operators with Southeast Asian connections.

EVA Air's additions of Penang and Yangon also reduce the dominance of competitors. Exceptions are Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon, which have added service to two destinations – Davao and Medan – not served by any other Northeast Asian airline.

Potential for the connectivity upside is still largely unrecognised. Yet for all the changes, there is still far more growth to be unlocked with improvements in narrowbody aircraft technology, slots, traffic rights and government transparency.

The inevitable focus on China market growth tends to disguise the great potential for growth of southeast and south Asian transfer markets over north Asia.

The large distances across the Pacific make direct services operationally difficult and often uneconomical, but as economies grow and trade links with north America expand, traffic flowing along the linkages made possible by connecting services will only increase.


Tourism Observer

USA: Southwest, Delta, American, Korean And Alaska Drop And Open New Routes

Alaska Airlines will drop a Midwest route from San Francisco; Southwest hints at Hawaii and begins new service out of Los Angeles and Denver; American will fly a new transpacific route temporarily and adds a pair of domestic routes.

Korean plans to add a new U.S. gateway; and Frontier begins code-sharing to Mexico and announces another spate of new routes.

Last fall, Alaska Airlines started service between San Francisco and Indianapolis. And this fall, it will drop that route, effective September 30.

There has been lower than expected demand for these flights and we need to utilize this aircraft to add capacity on other routes, said a spokesperson of Alaska Airlines.

This change is another example of how we are looking across the network and making some tough decisions to ensure we are running as efficient of an operation as possible, so we can continue to offer our customers low fares. Alaska will continue to operate its Seattle-Indianapolis service.

The SFO-Indianapolis route is also served by United with it's cleverly numbered Flight 500, and Southwest has nonstop service between Oakland and Indianapolis.

Southwest made a few more hints this week about its new Hawaii service, revealing details such as its plans to serve meals on flights to and from the mainland.

Schedules are expected to be announced in October with flights starts a few weeks later, we predict November timeframe. Flights will have satellite based wi-fi and movies, too. No word on fares yet.

Southwest Airlines this week kicked off its newest transcontinental non-stop, with daily service between Los Angeles International and Tampa. The LAX-Tampa route is also served by Delta and Spirit Airlines. And at Denver, Southwest this week started new daily non-stops to Cincinnati.

For 10 days in January, American Airlines' usual Chicago O'Hare-Tokyo Narita non-stop will operate via an intermediate stop in Las Vegas.

American said that from January 4 to 14, the daily 787-8 LAS-NRT flight will be marketed by its joint venture partner Japan Airlines to carry passengers to and from the giant Consumer Electronics Show. JAL will continue to offer its own daily non-stops between Chicago and Tokyo during that period.

Meanwhile, American will add a couple of new domestic routes in the months ahead. On November 4, it will launch one daily roundtrip between Dallas/Ft. Worth and Cheyenne, Wyoming, operated by Skywest with a CRJ-200.

On December 22, it will begin one flight a week between its Charlotte hub and New Haven, flown by PSA Airlines with a CRJ-200.

Korean Air is coming to Boston next spring, with plans to begin Boston-Seoul Incheon service five days a week beginning April 12. Korean will use a 787-9 on the route, equipped with six first class suites, 18 lie-flat seats in business class and 245 seats in the main cabin.

Korean will operate the route as part of its joint venture partnership with Delta, which recently announced plans to launch its own new service to Seoul from Minneapolis-St. Paul beginning in 2019.

Later this month, Frontier Airlines and Mexican low-cost carrier Volaris will begin a massive program of code-sharing that will put Frontier's code onto 51 routes operated by Volaris and will see the Mexican carrier's code go onto 120 routes operated by Frontier.

The new code-sharing will apply to Volaris flights from San Francisco to Mexico City and Guadalajara, and San Jose to Guadalajara, Morelia and Zacatecas, among many others.

Meanwhile, Frontier has announced another spate of new domestic routes, mostly starting in mid-November. From Phoenix, Frontier will begin new service to Norfolk, Ft. Myers, Grand Rapids and Madison. From Tucson, it will add service to Denver.

At Tampa, Frontier will start flying to Syracuse, Grand Rapids, Portland (Maine), Norfolk, and Greenville, S.C. And at Ft. Myers, it will kick off seasonal service to Albany, Las Vegas, Phoenix., Portland (Maine), Salt Lake City and Syracuse.

Most of the new routes will offer two or three flights a week.


Tourism Observer

SOUTH KOREA: Woman Causes Disturbance on Plane, Yelling, Korean Air Stole My Passport.

An American woman was dragged off a Korean Air flight at Incheon Airport outside of Seoul, South Korea last week after she commandeered a business class seat and proceed to go on an incoherent rant.

The incident on board Korean Air Flight 25 took place on July 27 which caused the flight to San Francisco to be delayed an hour and 44 minutes .

The woman, who originally booked an economy seat, sat down in the business class seating instead.

The woman refused to move and caused a disturbance when the flight attendant told her, You have to sit in your designated seat.

Korean Air said that, Airport police took a female passenger off a Korean Air flight from Seoul to San Francisco because she would not take her assigned seat and this presented a safety issue.

All passengers must be seated in their assigned seats prior to take off. When asked to take her assigned seat she refused and airport police came and took her off the flight.

The incident was captured in a cell-phone video that was posted on the Korea JoonAng Daily YouTube page.

It opens with a collection of Korean Air flight attendants surrounding the woman in her seat. The six flight attendant's faces are pixelated so one cannot see their facial expressions.

In the video, the woman can be heard screaming, U.S. Marshals! as the flight attendants approach her.

The woman appears to place her passport in her mouth while the flight attendants are unbuckling her from her seat and pulling her up on her feet. A smattering of claps can be heard from other passengers as the woman is pushed by flight attendants down the aisle and off the plane.

She then abruptly collapses to the ground and begins yelling, Korean Air stole my passport! as she is pulled down the aisle, amid multiple cries and yells.

Once the flight attendants load her onto a restraining wheelchair, the woman looks up at the person filming the incident and chants, DDoS Korean Air! DDos Korean Air? Nuclear disarmament!

DDoS stands for distributed denial of service. It's a cyber attack that can shut down a website or server by overwhelming it with traffic.

Then she looks directly into the camera and says, Meanwhile at SpaceX, as she is lifted in her wheelchair and brought off the plane as she shouts, I love you!

Airline police said, The woman was transferred to the hospital first as she seemed to be suffering from a mental illness. We plan to investigate her as soon as the hospital completes her examination.


Tourism Observer

USA: Delta to Add Seattle-Osaka Service in Partnership with Korean Air

Delta is adding nonstop service to Osaka-Kansai (KIX), Japan, starting in 2019, complementing its existing international network.

As Seattle’s global airline, Delta offers service to the top destinations throughout Asia, and additional access to Japan is important for our Seattle customers as well as the business community throughout Washington state and beyond, said Tony Gonchar, Delta’s vice president — Seattle.

We’re pleased to offer another key business destination with our new nonstop Osaka service from Seattle.

Delta will fly the new route with one of the airline’s Boeing 767-300ER equipped with 25 fully flat-bed seats in Delta One, 29 seats Delta Comfort+ and 171 seats in the Main Cabin.

Every seat has access to Wi-Fi, free personal in-flight seatback entertainment screens and power ports.

Meals, created in partnership with Delta’s Michelin two-star consulting chef Norio Ueno will be featured in all cabins of service.

Schedule details will be released at a later date. Delta today at Osaka offers daily service to Honolulu, making Seattle its second nonstop U.S. destination from the Japanese city.

Delta has made the difficult business decision to cease Seattle-Hong Kong service, with the last flight out of Hong Kong on Oct. 4. Delta will continue to serve Hong Kong from Seattle via Seoul-ICN, with its joint venture partner Korean Air.

Delta continues to make significant investments in the Puget Sound region and remains Seattle’s No. 1 global carrier, said Gonchar.

We look forward to serving our customers this summer as we operate our busiest schedule yet at our Seattle hub with more than 170 peak-day departures to more than 50 destinations.

The Seattle-Osaka route will be included in Delta’s joint venture partnership with Korean Air, which serves 12 destinations in Japan — giving shared customers optimized schedules, a more seamless customer experience and improved loyalty program benefits.

Giving customers more choices between the U.S. and Asia, the launch of Seattle-Osaka is another milestone in building the industry’s best trans-Pacific joint venture with Korean Air, said Matteo Curcio, vice president — Asia Pacific.


Tourism Observer

SOUTH KOREA: Korean Air CEO's Daughter Suspended For Behaving "foolish and reckless"

Korean Air has suspended its CEO's younger daughter while police investigate reports she threw water at an advertising executive in a meeting.

Cho Hyun-min, 36, a senior vice-president at the company, has apologised and called her behaviour "foolish and reckless".

She denies throwing water but admits to shoving the advertising agency manager.

She is the younger sister of Cho Hyun-ah - the airline heiress who infamously delayed a flight over a packet of nuts.

Ms Cho, who is also known as Emily, lost her temper because she was unhappy with answers to her questions during the meeting in Seoul last month.

The national carrier said in a statement it would take appropriate action after the police investigation was over.

Ms Cho issued an apology on her Facebook page on Thursday: "I have no words to say for my action that I should not have done under any circumstances."

The airline said on Monday she had thrown a cup of water on the floor, but not at anyone's face.

The owners of Korean Air have been under intense scrutiny since Ms Cho's sister, who is also known as Heather, famously flew into a rage when macadamia nuts were served to her in a bag and not on a plate on a Seoul-bound flight from New York in December 2014.

The case attracted intense attention in South Korea, reopening a national debate about the Korean business system, which is dominated by family firms known as chaebols.

The incident was eventually brought to trial, and Cho Hyun-ah was convicted of violating aviation safety, coercion and abuse of power in 2015.

An appeals court later reduced the one-year sentence to a suspended term, and she was released after five months in jail.

She recently returned to a management role at the firm's hotel wing.

Korean Air Lines Co., operating as Korean Air, is the largest airline and flag carrier of South Korea based on fleet size, international destinations and international flights.

The airline's global headquarters are located in Seoul, Republic of Korea. Korean Air was founded as Korean National Airlines in 1946. After several years of service and expansion, the airline was fully privatized in 1969.

Korean Air's international passenger division and related subsidiary cargo division together serve 127 cities in 44 countries, while its domestic division serves 12 destinations.

It is among the top 20 airlines in the world in terms of passengers carried and is also the top-ranked international cargo airline. Incheon International Airport serves as Korean Air's international hub.

Korean Air also maintains a satellite headquarters campus at Incheon. The majority of Korean Air's pilots, ground staff, and flight attendants are based in Seoul.

Korean Air is the parent company of Jin Air and is a founding member of the SkyTeam airline alliance. It was voted Asia's best airline by Business Traveler readers in 2012.

Korean Air was founded by the South Korean government in 1962 as Korean Air Lines to replace Korean National Airlines, which was founded in 1946.

On March 1, 1969, the Hanjin Transport Group took control of the airline. Long-haul freight operations were introduced on April 26, 1971, followed by passenger services to Los Angeles International Airport on April 19, 1972.

International flights to Hong Kong, Taiwan and Los Angeles were flown with Boeing 707s until the introduction of the Boeing 747 in 1973.

In 1973, the airline introduced Boeing 747s on its Pacific routes and started a European service to Paris, France using the 707 and then McDonnell Douglas DC-10.

In 1975, the airline became one of the earliest Asian airlines to operate Airbus aircraft with the purchase of three Airbus A300s, which were put into immediate service on Asian routes.

Since South Korean aircraft were prohibited from flying in the airspace of North Korea and the Soviet Union at the time, the European routes had to be designed eastbound from South Korea, such as Gimpo-Anchorage-Paris

A blue-top, silver and redesigned livery with a new corporate Korean Air logo featuring a stylized Taegeuk design was introduced on March 1, 1984, and the airline's name changed to Korean Air from Korean Air Lines.

This livery was introduced on its Fokker F28 Fellowships. It was designed in cooperation between Korean Air and Boeing.

In the 1990s, Korean Air became the first airline to use the new McDonnell Douglas MD-11 to supplement its new fleet of Boeing 747-400 aircraft.

However, the MD-11 did not meet the airline's performance requirements and they were eventually converted to freighters.

Some older 747 aircraft were also converted for freight service.

In the 1980s, Korean Air's head office was in the KAL Building on Namdaemunno, Jung-gu, Seoul.

On June 5, 2007, Korean Air said that it would create a new low-cost carrier called Jin Air in Korea to compete with Korea's KTX high-speed railway network system, which offered cheaper fares and less stringent security procedures compared to air travel.

Jin Air started its scheduled passenger service from Seoul to Jeju on July 17, 2008. Korean Air announced that some of its 737s and A300s would be given to Jin Air.

By 2009, Korean Air's image had become more prestigious, differing from the airline's late-1990s image, which had been tarnished by several fatal accidents.

In mid-2010, a co-marketing deal with games company Blizzard Entertainment sent a 747-400 and a 737-900 taking to the skies wrapped in StarCraft II branding.

In August 2010, Korean Air announced heavy second-quarter losses despite record high revenue. In August 2010, Hanjin Group, the parent of Korean, opened a new cargo terminal at Navoi in Uzbekistan, which would become a cargo hub with regular Incheon-Navoi-Milan flights.

Korean Air owns five hotels: two KAL hotels on Jeju island, the Hyatt in Incheon; Waikiki Resort in Hawaii and a hotel/office building called the Wilshire Grand Tower which is being redeveloped.

This building in downtown Los Angeles will house the largest InterContinental Hotel in the Americas in what will be the tallest building in Los Angeles.

In 2013, Korean Air acquired a 44% stake in Czech Airlines. It sold the stake in October 2017.

Korean Air's headquarters, the Korean Air Operations Center, is located in Gonghang-dong, Gangseo-gu in Seoul. Korean Air also has offices at Gimpo International Airport in Seoul.

Korean Air's other hubs are at Jeju International Airport, Jeju and Gimhae International Airport, Busan. The maintenance facilities are located in Gimhae International Airport.

Korean Air serves 114 international destinations in 50 countries on 6 continents, excluding codeshares. The airlines's international hub is Incheon International Airport, most important airport in Korea.

The airline also flies 13 domestic destinations within South Korea. KAL operates between Incheon and 22 cities in mainland China, and along with Asiana Airlines, it is one of the two largest foreign airlines to operate into the People's Republic of China.

Korean Air codeshares with these airlines:

- Aeroflot
- Aerolíneas Argentinas
- Aeroméxico
- Air Europa
- Air France (Joint Venture Partner)
- Air Seychelles
- Air Tahiti Nui
- Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air
- Alitalia
- American Airlines (Oneworld)
- China Airlines
- China Eastern Airlines
- China Southern Airlines
- Czech Airlines
- Delta Air Lines (Joint Venture Partner)
- Emirates
- Etihad Airways (Stragic Partner)
- Garuda Indonesia
- Gol Transportes Aereos
- Hainan Airlines
- Hawaiian Airlines
- Japan Airlines (Oneworld)
- Jet Airways
- Jin Air (Korean Air Subsidiary)
- Kenya Airways
- KLM
- LATAM Chile (Oneworld)
- LATAM Perú (Oneworld)
- Malaysia Airlines (Oneworld)
- MIAT Mongolian Airlines
- Myanmar Airways International
- Saudia
- Shanghai Airlines
- Uzbekistan Airways
- Vietnam Airlines
- WestJet
- XiamenAir

Korean Air is also an airline partner of Skywards, the frequent-flyer program for Emirates. Skywards members can earn miles for flying Korean Air and can redeem miles for free flights.

Korean Air fleet consists of the following aircraft:

- Korean Air Airbus A330-200 - 8

- Airbus A330-300 - 21

- Airbus A380-800 - 10

- Boeing 737-800 - 14

- Boeing 737-900 - 16

- Boeing 737-900ER - 6

- Boeing 747-8I - 10

- Boeing 777-200ER - 14

- Boeing 777-300 - 4

- Boeing 777-300ER - 23

- Boeing 787-9 - 5

- Bombardier CS300 - 4

Korean Air Cargo fleet

- Boeing 747-400ERF - 4

- Boeing 747-400F - 3

- Boeing 747-8F - 7

- Boeing 777F - 12

Korean Air business jet fleet

- Boeing BBJ1 - 2

- Boeing 787-8 - 1

- Bombardier Global Express XRS - 2

- Gulfstream G650ER - 1

Korean Air helicopter fleet

- Eurocopter EC-135 - 5

- Sikorsky S-76+ - 1

- Total Fleet - 173

Korean Air has made the following orders:

- Airbus A321neo - 30

- Boeing 737 MAX 8 - 30

- Boeing 777-300ER - 7

- Boeing 787-9 - 5

- Bombardier CS300 - 6

- Total Orders - 78

Korean Air offers four types of first class, three types of business (Prestige) class, and two types of economy class.

Prestige Class seats include Prestige Sleeper seats on all Boeing 777-300ERs and Airbus A380s, as well as 777-200ER aircraft that feature Kosmo Suites seats.

Prestige Plus seats on most of the Boeing 777-200ER fleet, most of the Boeing 747-400 fleet, and one Boeing 777-300; and old Prestige Class seats.

Prestige Sleeper seats recline to 180 degrees, while Prestige Plus seats recline up to 172 degrees. Old Prestige Class seats recline up to only 138 degrees, although these seats are being phased out except for on Boeing 737 aircraft.

Economy Class seats recline up to 121 degrees. A new type of seat called New Economy Class is being installed on all Boeing 777-300ER and Boeing 777-200ER aircraft with Kosmo Suites, all Boeing 777-300 aircraft.

Some Airbus A330-300 aircraft, some Airbus A330-200 aircraft, the Airbus A380 aircraft factory installed, and brand new Boeing 747-8i aircraft.

The Kosmo Suites seats and the Prestige Sleeper seats were first introduced in the Boeing 777-300ERs in May 2009. Both seats could stretch to 180 degrees, and became more private than seats before.

The Korean Air Airbus A380-800 aircraft also feature an inflight bar called the Celestial Bar in partnership with Absolut Vodka, featuring a range of Absolut cocktails, along with an integrated lounge space.

It is located on the upper deck Business Class cabin, and is accessible only to First and Prestige class passengers.

On the lower deck of the A380, there is a Lancome designed duty-free shop located in the rear of the cabin that is available to all passengers.

SKYPASS is the frequent-flyer program of Korean Air. SKYPASS also refers to the blue card which Korean Air frequent-flyers are given. The motto of SKYPASS is - Beyond your Imagination.

The program's elite levels are comparable to those of other airlines' frequent-flyer programs, requiring members to fly 30,000 miles per two-year cycle - initial entry into this level requires 50,000 miles.

Qualification for the highest level is based on lifetime flight miles, requiring a customer to fly 1 million miles for Million Miler, which is the highest elite status or 500,000 miles for Morning Calm Premium, which comes second.

Both membership levels are eligible for SkyTeam Elite Plus privileges. Membership in these levels are granted for life.

Korean Air is also involved in aerospace research and manufacturing.

The division, known as the Korean Air Aerospace Division (KAL-ASD), manufactures licensed versions of the MD Helicopters MD 500 and Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters.

As well as the Northrop F-5E/F Tiger II fighter aircraft, the aft fuselage and wings for the KF-16 fighter aircraft manufactured by Korean Aerospace Industries and parts for various commercial aircraft including the Boeing 737, Boeing 747, Boeing 777 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner; and the Airbus A330 and Airbus A380.

In 1991 the division designed and flew the Korean Air Chang-Gong 91 light aircraft.

KAA also provides aircraft maintenance support for the United States Department of Defense in Asia and maintains a research division with focuses on launch vehicles, satellites, commercial aircraft, military aircraft, helicopters and simulation systems.

In October 2012, a development deal between Bombardier Aerospace and a government-led South Korean consortium was announced, aiming to develop a 90-seat turboprop regional airliner, targeting a 2019 launch date.

The consortium would include Korea Aerospace Industries and Korean Air Lines.

Korean Air had many fatal accidents between 1970 and 1999, during which time 16 aircraft were written off in serious incidents and accidents with the loss of 700 lives.

Two Korean Air aircraft were shot down by the Soviet Union, including Korean Air Lines Flight 007 on September 1, 1983 that was carrying 269 people, including a sitting U.S. Congressman, Larry McDonald.

The last fatal passenger incident was the Korean Air Flight 801 crash in 1997, which killed 228 people. The last crew fatality was in the crash of Korean Air Cargo Flight 8509 in December 1999.

Korean Air has been cited as one of the examples of the South Korean chaebol system, wherein corporate conglomerates, established with government support, overreach diverse branches of industry.

For much of the time between the foundation of Korean Air as Korean National Airlines in 1946 and the foundation of Asiana Airlines in 1988, Korean Air was the only airline operating in South Korea.

The process of privatization of Korean National Airlines in 1969 was supported by Park Chung-hee, the South Korean military general-president who seized power of the country through a military coup d'état; and the monopoly of the airline was secured for two decades.

After widening the Jaebeol branches, the subsidiary corporations of Korean Air include marine and overland transportation businesses, hotels and real estate among others; and the previous branches included heavy industry, passenger transportation, construction and a stockbroking business.

The nature of the South Korean chaebeol system involves nepotism. A series of incidents involving Korean Air in 2000s have revealed an ugly side of the culture within chaebeols, South Korean’s giant family-run conglomerates.

Cho Hyun-Ah, also known as Heather Cho, is the daughter of the chairman Cho Yang-ho. She resigned from some of her duties in late 2014 after she ordered a Korean Air jet to return to the gate to allow a flight attendant to be removed from the aircraft.

The attendant had served Cho nuts in a bag instead of on a plate. As a result of further fallout, Cho Hyun-Ah was later arrested by Korean authorities for violating South Korea's aviation safety laws.

Fly With Korean Air



Tourism Observer

USA: Boeing 787 In Nose Dive Accident At Moses Lake Grant County International Airport

Some of Boeing’s early 787 Dreamliners were so messed up during assembly that they were unsuitable for sale to an airline and sat in storage for years with no takers.

A few were eventually sold off to be expensively re-worked as private VIP jets.

Last Thursday in Moses Lake, one of those VIP airplanes fell on its face.

As the jet sat on the ramp at Grant County International Airport, where a custom interior was being installed, the nose landing gear collapsed.

The carbon-fiber forward fuselage hit the ground, as did the engine pods.

No one was hurt, but the plane sustained damage that according to one expert looks like it could be quite expensive.

Photos of the incident posted online show a forlorn airplane tipped on its nose.

The airplane, Dreamliner No. 11, was bought by Korean Air but not for use as a regular commercial airliner.

Airline spokesman Nathan Cho said Korean will operate the aircraft for an anonymous VIP client.

Greenpoint Technologies of Kirkland, which designs and builds custom luxury aircraft interiors for private clients and Heads-of-State, won the contract to complete the aircraft conversion.

Boeing first assembled the plane in 2009 but, because of repeated re-work, it didn’t roll out until six years later.

In 2015, Boeing finally delivered the jet to Korean Air.

The jet flew to Moses Lake where Greenpoint was to do the interior modifications, which are typically very expensive and take years to complete.

Now, in addition to that ongoing work, the damage sustained with the face plant will have to be repaired.

Greenpoint marketing director Christine Hadley refused to answer questions about what happened or about the likely repair.

A private VIP 787 at Greenpoint Technologies experienced an incident which is under investigation, she said in an emailed statement.



Tourism Observer

SOUTH KOREA: Korean Air Begin Frequent Flyer Program For Pets

For the pooch who logs miles for work, or the kitty who has a vacation home it needs to visit often, Korean Air has launched the frequent flyer program just for them.

Via press release, the airline announced its SKYPETS program, which rewards pets that fly frequently with opportunities to either fly for 50 percent off or completely free.

We should say that this helps their human travel companions, seeing as how it is the ones with opposable thumbs that are pulling out the credit card to purchase a plane ticket more often than not.

The program is quite simple: Your pet earns one stamp for every domestic flight within Korea and two for every International trip. After six stamps, you get half off the animal fees on a domestic trip; An International trip will mandate 12 stamps.

There is also an option to get a free ticket for your pet. Simply, save up your stamps and redeem 12 of them for a domestic flight and 24 for an International excursion.

Getting a stamp is as easy as flying Korean Air, but stamps are only good for three years, so your pet will need to be a prolific flyer. The small ones can enjoy the cabin while bigger pals will need to hang out in the hold.

Pet bookings and requests are simply added to the passenger’s itinerary after registering the pet on Korean Air’s website. Dogs, cats and birds can travel with Korean Air either in the cabin or in the luggage hold, depending on their weight and size.

Korean Air is in good company when it comes to rewarding owners. JetBlue has its JetPaws program, which offers 300 TrueBlue points for each flight to travelers flying with pets.

Virgin Atlantic also continues its Flying Paws program, rewarding its Flying Club Members traveling with pets extra miles to various destinations.

Pack up the dog biscuits and the cute kitty swimming trunks, because the summer is here and it’s time to earn those stamps.

Delta Air Lines and Korean Air have announced the expansion of their partnership, which includes growing the trans-Pacific network and boosting competition between the United States and Asia.

The two airlines signed a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday that will provide both Delta Air Lines and Korean Air passengers with access to comprehensive route networks, airline products, airport facilities and customer service.

As part of the joint venture arrangement, the two airlines will share the costs and revenues on flights and coordinating schedules.

Delta and Korean Air will also create a combined network that will reach more than 290 destinations in the Americas and more than 80 in Asia.

This agreement deepens our longstanding partnership with Korean Air and will provide the global access and seamless service our customers demand, Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in a statement.

We look forward to providing customers of both carriers with industry-leading service between the U.S. and Asia.

The agreement between Delta and Korean Air will also include enhanced frequent flyer benefits, expanded codesharing, joint growth in the trans-Pacific market and improved passenger and baggage transit experiences.

In June, Delta will launch a new non-stop service between Atlanta and Seoul, South Korea. Later this summer, Korean Air will also introduce a third roundtrip flight between Los Angeles and Seoul, as well as a second flight between San Francisco and Seoul.

For more information on the partnership between the two airlines, check out the official website of Delta Air Lines.

On Tuesday, officials from Korean Air announced that it would begin revising its rules regarding the use of stun guns and other forcible measures to handle unruly passengers.

The decision to allow crew members to more “readily use stun guns” on disruptive passengers comes as a result of an incident that took place last week in which a drunk Korean man attacked flight attendants and other passengers.

One of the other passengers on the flight was American musician Richard Marx, who claimed the crew on the Korean Air flight from Vietnam to Korea was not properly trained to handle the situation.

While the flight attendants involved in last week’s incident had a stun gun, they did not use it due to fear of consequences. The new changes allow crew members to use a Taser gun as soon as an unruly passenger refuses to comply with verbal warnings.

In addition to the more liberal use of Taser guns, Korean Air officials also announced that the airline will begin banning disruptive passengers who continue to violate the rules. The company also said it would be hiring more male flight attendants to combat the in-flight violence.

The Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said the number of unlawful acts committed aboard Korean airplanes soared to 460 last year from 191 in 2012.

As for the man who caused the incident which resulted in the stun gun changes, prosecutors are looking to arrest the man for his violations of aviation safety laws, which could result in up to five years of imprisonment.

SOUTH KOREA: South Korean Travellers Avoid Europe Fearing Terrorist Attacks

SOUTH Korean tourists are turning their backs on Europe this year, frightened off by terrorist attacks in major cities and the attempted coup in Turkey.

Outbound travel agents are reporting declines of as much as 20 per cent in group bookings, with one research pinning the number at a massive 81.2 per cent drop in travel to Turkey.

"We have certainly been affected by events in Europe this year and numbers are worse than last year, particularly for areas on the Mediterranean and big cities in Western Europe," Lee Eun-young, a sales executive for Hanjin Travel, told TTG Asia e-Daily.

Travel across Europe is down around 10 per cent, Lee said, hurt by the November 2015 attacks in Paris, bombings at Brussels in March and, most recently, the killing of 84 people in the French city of Nice in July.

Travel to Turkey – traditionally a popular destination for South Koreans – has been hard hit by the attempted coup in July.

Both Korean Air and Asiana Airlines reduced their flights between Incheon and Istanbul shortly after the bloodshed, with both carriers cutting their flights from five-times weekly to three.

"Unfortunately, I don't see demand for Turkey recovering anytime soon," said Lee.

Cho Il-san, spokesperson for Hana Tour, said bookings for European destinations were down as much as 20 per cent in Q1 but added that airlines are attempting to offset the decline in traffic by offering discounts on flights.

"On the other hand, travel to destinations in South-east Asia have picked up notably,” he said.

A study by SK Telecom has suggested that the fall in travel may be even more dramatic than agents are reporting.

By analysing the roaming data of its subscribers in July and August, the company said a mere 2,716 users visited Turkey, down 81.2 per cent from last year.

Visitors to France fell 25.1 per cent, the data showed, while South Korean arrivals in Belgium were 48.8 per cent lower.

Meanwhile, the number of visitors to Taiwan were up 21.8 per cent while arrivals in Vietnam climbed 12.4 per cent. Travel to China rose 8.4 per cent and to Japan by 7.2 per cent.

SOUTH KOREA: Korean Air Pilots Sue Airline Chairman After He Claimed 'flying is easier than driving a car'

Pilots at Korean Air are suing its chairman Cho Yang-Ho after he belittled their role in a post on social media.

Their union has filed a lawsuit to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office for contempt and defamation.

In March, the chairman allegedly responded to a Korean Air pilot's Facebook post in which the pilot had detailed the complex procedures required to become a qualified commercial pilot.

"What pilots have to do is just to decide to go or not to go,Flying is done by autopilot, and the flying is easier than driving a car. Only in case of an emergency do we need pilots. You pilots are exaggerating too much," Cho wrote, according to South Korea's Yonhap News.

"Our honour was defamed and we were insulted by chairman Cho's comment," the union said, according to the report.

Pilots of South Korean carriers Asia Airline, Jin Air, and Jeju Air have backed the lawsuit and are demanding the government takes action over the comments.

SOUTH KOREA:Singapore Airlines Takeoff Aborted At Seoul Airport

San Francisco-bound SQ16 was reported to have made an emergency stop during takeoff to avoid Korean Air flight KE-929 which was crossing the runway without permission.

A Singapore Airlines (SIA) plane bound for San Francisco aborted takeoff at Seoul airport last Thursday (May 5) following instructions from air traffic control to avoid a Korean Air plane.

“The aborted takeoff resulted in the deflation of a number of tyres on the Boeing 777-300ER, requiring passengers to disembark from the aircraft on the taxiway,” said an SIA spokesperson. There were 186 passengers and 18 crew onboard the flight, and none of them were injured.

According to a report from aviation news site The Aviation Herald, the flight was cleared for takeoff at 6.07pm local time (5.07pm Singapore time). It was accelerating for takeoff when Korean Air flight KE-929, bound for St Petersburg, suddenly crossed the runway. This prompted the instruction to abort takeoff.

Affected passengers were provided with hotel accommodation, said the SIA spokesperson. Following replacement of the tyres, the aircraft departed for San Francisco at 1.05pm local time on Friday (May 6).

The Korean Ministry of Transportation has launched an investigation to determine the cause of the incident, according to AirLive, an aviation site.

UZBEKISTAN: Tashkent Airport To Be Upgraded

Experience and technologies applied in the South-Korean airport “Incheon” will be used in the course of modernization of the airport of the capital city.

As reported by Uzbekistan Today, specialists from South Korea will carry out the feasibility study of the project until the end of 2016. The cost of the modernization is estimated more than 312Mln USD.

The new terminal will offer services for up to 1,500 passengers an hour.

The International airport “Incheon” is one of the largest airports in the world in terms of international transportation and number of flights.

The airport has several times hit the highest rating in Skytrax, and in 2009 Skytrax recognized the Incheon airport as the best airport of the world.

Korean Air and KOICA agency will participate in the modernization and re-equipment of the Tashkent airport.

SOUTH KOREA: Korean Air Finalises Order For 30 A321neo

New order comes as carrier celebrates 40 Years of Airbus operations

Korean Air has signed a contract with Airbus covering a firm order for 30 A321neo aircraft plus 20 options, becoming a new customer for the best-selling single aisle A320 Family. The purchase agreement finalises a commitment announced earlier this year and was signed in Seoul by Walter Cho Won Tae, Korean Air Executive Vice President and Fabrice Brégier, Airbus President and CEO.

The order comes as Airbus and Korean Air celebrate 40 Years of Airbus operations at the airline, which began in October 1975 when the carrier’s first A300B4 entered service on the Seoul-Fukuoka route. Since that time Korean Air has continuously operated Airbus widebody aircraft, including various versions of the A300, the A330 and the double-deck A380.

Korean Air will operate the A321neo with a two class full service layout on regional services, including on longer sectors to selected destinations in South East Asia. The aircraft will be fitted with premium amenities, including wider seats in both classes and the latest in-flight entertainment and connectivity systems.

“We are pleased to be able to finalise our first ever single aisle aircraft order with Airbus,” said Cho Yang Ho, Chairman of Korean Air Group. “The A321neo will bring new levels of efficiency, longer flying range and greater in-flight comfort to our single aisle fleet, as well as reduced impact on the environment. The A321neo will contribute to our ongoing commitment to offer true excellence in flight wherever we fly.”

“Over four decades Korean Air has consistently ranked among the top operators of Airbus widebodies,” said Fabrice Brégier, Airbus President & CEO. “We now look forward to a new phase in our relationship with the arrival of the airline’s first Airbus single aisle aircraft. We are confident that the A321neo will not only meet but will fully exceed the airline’s expectations in terms of operational efficiency, profitability and passenger appeal.”

Korean Air placed its first order, for the original A300B4 in September 1974, becoming just the fourth airline in the world and the first from outside Europe to sign an aircraft purchase agreement with Airbus. Today, the A380 is the flagship of the airline’s long haul fleet, while the mid-size A330 is operated by the airline on services across the Asia-Pacific region, as well as on selected routes to Europe.

The A321 is the largest member of the best-selling single aisle A320 Family. To date, the A320 Family has won more than 12,200 orders and over 6,700 aircraft have been delivered to more than 300 operators worldwide.

Incorporating new engines and the latest technologies, the A320neo Family will bring a step-change reduction in fuel consumption of over 15 per cent, longer range capability and reduced maintenance costs, as well as significantly reduced carbon emissions.

With over 4,300 orders received from more than 75 customers since its launch in 2010, the A320neo Family has captured almost 60 percent share of the market.

SOUTH KOREA: Asiana Airlines And Korean Air Compete On 50 Routes

Asiana Airlines’ most recent new route launch was to Rome Fiumicino, a service that started on 30 June. This new service will face direct competition from both Alitalia and Korean Air. Out of the 79 routes Asiana serves non-stop from Seoul Incheon it faces head-to-head competition from at least two carriers on 43 of them, including Rome.

Asiana Airlines remains the second biggest carrier in South Korea after Korean Air. According to the airline’s latest quarterly performance report, at the end of March 2015 the Star Alliance member’s fleet comprised 73 passenger aircraft; 33 narrow-body A320-series aircraft (A320s and A321s), and 40 wide-body aircraft comprising 17 Airbus aircraft (two A380s and 15 A330s) and 23 Boeing aircraft (12 777s, seven 767s and four 747s). Since then, additional A380s have been delivered to the airline in May and June bringing the fleet to four aircraft. They are currently used on flights to Bangkok, Los Angeles and New York JFK.

The airline’s main base of operation is Seoul Incheon Airport from where it operates non-stop to 79 destinations, of which only one (Jeju) is a domestic route. Based on OAG data for the first week of August Asiana ranks as the 61st biggest airline in the world as measured by weekly seat capacity, moving up to 39th if we use ASKs (Available Seat Kilometres) as our metric. Using ASKs, which takes into account distance flown as well as total seat capacity, five of the airline’s top seven routes are to the US (shown in light green), with Los Angeles beating New York JFK to the top position.

According to the airline’s most recent quarterly financial report (for 2015 Q1) US routes account for 17.8% of the airline’s revenues. This is beaten by the 18.9% of revenues on Chinese routes (it serves 23 destinations in China from Seoul Incheon), and south-east Asian routes which account for one-quarter of all passenger revenue. Routes to Japan generate a further 14%, European routes 9%, while domestic routes only account for 8% of revenues.

Intense competition at Seoul Incheon
At Seoul Incheon, Korean Air is the leading carrier serving almost 100 destinations with non-stop flights (making it the fourth best connected airline hub in Asia) and accounting for 33% of weekly departing seats at the airport. Asiana’s services to almost 80 destinations give it a 24% share of seat capacity at the airport. Not surprisingly, the two carriers compete head-to-head on a significant number of routes, 49 in all. However, Asiana also competes against other carriers on a significant number of routes.

On only 14 of the 79 destinations served from Seoul Incheon does Asiana not face head-to-head competition from at least one other airline, and these routes only represent just over 3% of the airline’s ASKs from the airport. Asiana’s two biggest monopoly routes in terms of ASKs are Delhi and Jakarta which account for over half of the uncontested ASKs. On 22 routes Asiana faces just one carrier, while on 23 routes the level of competition increases to two carriers. On the remaining 20 routes there are at least three carriers competing directly, with the Hong Kong route having the highest level of competition at nine carriers.

Asiana’s most recent new route has been to Rome Fiumicino (launched 30 June) with Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, set to become the carrier’s newest destination on 8 August. The new weekly (Saturdays) service will complement the existing weekly (Tuesdays) service offered by Air Astana, with whom Asiana has a codeshare arrangement.

Asiana Airlines’ next new route to Astana starts on 8 August. The weekly service will complement the existing weekly service offered by Air Astana on which Asiana codeshares.

In the South Korean domestic market Asiana also ranks second behind Korean Air, with around 23% of seats and flights. Of the 10 domestic routes operated seven are from Jeju, which includes the high frequency route to Seoul Gimpo, which is served almost 200 times per week in each direction. This single route accounts for half of all Asiana’s domestic flights. Competition on the route is intense with Korean Air offering around 190 weekly flights each way, Jeju Airlines over 150, t’way air 100, Jin Air over 80 and Air Busan 35. Air Busan is the low-cost subsidiary of Asiana.


Asiana’s four A380s are configured with 495 seats in three classes. The first two aircraft were delivered in May and July 2014, with the most recent deliveries taking place in May and June of this year. The airline has orders for two additional aircraft. The aircraft are currently used on the US routes to Los Angeles and New York, as well as some Bangkok frequencies.

SOUTH KOREA: Korean Air Becomes First Airline To Fly Both Versions Of Boeing 747-8

Korean Air (Seoul) and Boeing (Chicago, Seattle and Charleston) yesterday (August 25) marked the delivery of the airline’s first 747-8 Intercontinental. The new fuel-efficient jet is the first of 10 747-8 passenger airplanes the carrier has on order.

The Boeing 747-8B5 HL7630 (msn 40905) was handed over to the carrier on August 25. The Jumbo is seen landing after a test flight at Paine Field near Everett, WA.

With this delivery, Korean Air becomes the first airline in the world to operate both the passenger and freighter versions of the 747-8. Korean Air currently operates seven 747-8 Freighters.

Korea’s flag carrier currently operates a fleet of 87 Boeing passenger airplanes that includes 737, 747 and 777s. The airline also operates an all-Boeing cargo fleet of 28 747-400, 747-8 and 777 Freighters.

With a range of 7,730 nautical miles (14,310 km), the 747-8 Intercontinental offers 16 percent savings in fuel consumption and emissions over its predecessor, the 747-400, while generating 30 percent less noise. The airplane also features an all-new, 787 Dreamliner-inspired interior that includes a new curved, upswept architecture giving passengers a greater feeling of space and comfort.

Korean Air’s jet is configured with 368 seats and features the brand new First Class Kosmo Suite 2.0, which include a sliding door and higher partitions to provide added privacy for passengers. The suites are also equipped with updated in-flight entertainment systems, with large 24-inch high-definition monitors and new handheld touch remotes.

The airline’s Business Class Prestige Suites (above) will feature staggered seating and privacy panels, along with 18-inch high definition touch screens.

Korean Air’s Aerospace Division is a key Boeing partner on both the 747-8 and 787 programs, supplying the distinctive raked wing-tips for each model. They are also one of two suppliers producing the new 737 MAX Advanced Technology (AT) Winglet.

Korean Air, with a fleet of 161 aircraft, is one of the world’s top 20 airlines, and operates more than 430 flights per day to 128 cities in 45 countries. It is a founding member of the SkyTeam alliance, which together with its 20 members, offers its 612 million annual passengers a worldwide system of more than 16,000 daily flights covering 1,052 destinations in 177 countries.

SOUTH KOREA: Korean Air Becomes The First Airline To Operate Both Versions Of The Boeing 747-8

Korean Air (Seoul) and Boeing (Chicago, Seattle and Charleston) yesterday (August 25) marked the delivery of the airline’s first 747-8 Intercontinental. The new fuel-efficient jet is the first of 10 747-8 passenger airplanes the carrier has on order.

With this delivery, Korean Air becomes the first airline in the world to operate both the passenger and freighter versions of the 747-8. Korean Air currently operates seven 747-8 Freighters.

Korea’s flag carrier currently operates a fleet of 87 Boeing passenger airplanes that includes 737, 747 and 777s. The airline also operates an all-Boeing cargo fleet of 28 747-400, 747-8 and 777 Freighters.

With a range of 7,730 nautical miles (14,310 km), the 747-8 Intercontinental offers 16 percent savings in fuel consumption and emissions over its predecessor, the 747-400, while generating 30 percent less noise. The airplane also features an all-new, 787 Dreamliner-inspired interior that includes a new curved, upswept architecture giving passengers a greater feeling of space and comfort.

Korean Air’s jet is configured with 368 seats and features the brand new First Class Kosmo Suite 2.0, which include a sliding door and higher partitions to provide added privacy for passengers. The suites are also equipped with updated in-flight entertainment systems, with large 24-inch high-definition monitors and new handheld touch remotes.

The airline’s Business Class Prestige Suites (above) will feature staggered seating and privacy panels, along with 18-inch high definition touch screens.

Korean Air’s Aerospace Division is a key Boeing partner on both the 747-8 and 787 programs, supplying the distinctive raked wing-tips for each model. They are also one of two suppliers producing the new 737 MAX Advanced Technology (AT) Winglet.

Korean Air, with a fleet of 161 aircraft, is one of the world’s top 20 airlines, and operates more than 430 flights per day to 128 cities in 45 countries. It is a founding member of the SkyTeam alliance, which together with its 20 members, offers its 612 million annual passengers a worldwide system of more than 16,000 daily flights covering 1,052 destinations in 177 countries.