Asiana Airlines Business-Class Seats Can Be Converted into Beds
- Also equipped with a mini-bar and AVOD system

Asiana Airlines has introduced Airbus 330s, an advanced aircraft with Premium Business Class seats that can convert into beds.
With a marketing strategy targeting businessmen, Asiana Airlines has introduced or will introduce six A330s and five B777s with Premium Business Class seats that can bend backward at a maximum angle of 166.7 degrees, almost equivalent to the First-class seats with an angle of 180 degrees. The Premium Business Class seat is 58 inches in pitch, the distance between seats.
The A330 Asiana Airlines unveiled to the Korean media on Dec. 22 is also equipped with a Business-Class only mini-bar where clients enjoy snacks, wine and whiskeys during flights. Asiana Airlines A330 has becomes the first aircraft in operation in Korea to have such a mini-bar for business-class passengers. The Premium Business Class seat has an Audio-Video on Demand (AVOD) system with a 15-inch monitor, allowing passengers to watch or listen to video and audio they choose.
Each seat has a 110-voltage socket for notebook PC users and a toaster for toasted bread. All toilets of the aircraft are decorated with glasses in all directions, and a separate toilet is installed for the handicapped.
Asiana Airlines introduced six A330s equipped with Premium Business Class seats in December, and five B777s with such seats and devices will be introduced next July, the airlines said. Passengers can surf the Internet from the B777s, to be introduced from next July.
The latest A330s Asiana Airlines has purchased recently has brought to 61 the fleet of A330s, including 55 passenger aircraft and six freighters. nw

Kumho-Asiana Aims at Posting 10 Trillion Won in Sales
The Kumho-Asiana Business Group has unveiled the 2005 business plan, targeting 10 trillion won in sales exclusive the turnover of financial subsidiaries, and 900 billion won in operating profits, representing a 16 percent jump and a 29 percent surge over last year, respectively. The group decided to raise investments up 30 percent to 1.09 trillion won.
The group plans to put its business focus on raising profits and strengthening corporate constitution through souped-up business activities. Kumho-Asiana will expand investments into logistics and leisure sectors in which Group Chairman Park Sam-koo pays a keen interest -as part of its efforts to develop them as the group's next-generation growth engines.
It turns out that the group has established a foundation for its leap into a integrated logistics corporation by acquiring additional stakes in Korea Integrated Freight Terminal last November. The group aims at creating synergetic effects by combining such sectors as manufacturing, overland and air transportation, and logistics infrastructure capabilities.
Through M&As and joint ventures, the group plans to foster an integrated logistics company handling such businesses as third-party logistics, as part of its bid to cover business arenas ranging from the existing overland and air transportation sectors to the industrial transportation field.
Leisure businesses, which are spread among subsidiaries, will be merged into a separate division as part of the group's efforts to reinforce the sector's capabilities.
While beefing up the rent car business, the industry leader, the group will build up a global tire manufacturing network as a means of growing the sector as its growth engine industries. Kumho-Asiana plans to raise its expenditures for conducting social service activities while strengthening collaborative relationships between large- and small-sized corporations by raising the portion of cash payments.
The group will put lots of energy into making investments in human resources to maintain a sustainable development this year, while trying to introduce a new personnel management system. nw