Asiana Hopes Launch
of Flight to Paris
Dispatches two flight attendants under
a code-sharing deal with Turkish Airlines

Asiana Airlines President Kang Joo-an called on the French government to allow his airline to fly the Seoul-Paris route. As a representative of Korea, only Korean Air (KAL) now operates flights on the lucrative route.
Asiana Airlines President Kang expressed his wishes for the launch of flights on the Seoul-Paris route prior to the flight negotiations between the Korean and French governments. He said in a meeting of reporters at Lotte Hotel in downtown Seoul on January 26, "The Seoul-Paris route has been dominated by our rival (KAL) for 30 years, and our airline, celebrating the 18th anniversary of it" founding, should be given permission to fly on the route."The Korean government has repeatedly demanded Paris allow two airlines flights on the route, but the French government has insisted on the long-standing "One Country, One Airline"policy.
Major Asian countries, including Japan, Taiwan and China, have been permitted two airlines to fly on the route to their respective country and from Paris, said an Asiana Airline official, adding that the French side would no loner neglect its demand for allowing Korean double-airlines to fly on the route.
Concerning the Incheon-Istanbul route both KAL and Asiana Airlines want to fly, President Kang said, his airline will respond according to the outcome of the ongoing flight negotiations between the Korean and Turkish government. He said he expresses the hope that the two Korean airlines would be allowed to fly on the route and share flights. Regarding the question about a corporate identity reorganization plan announced by Kumho-Asiana Group on February 1, Kang said his airline will change its logo in accordance with the new CI program.

CODE-SHARING WITH TURKISH AIRLINES ― Starting January 23, two flight attendants from Asiana Airlines have been aboard each Turkish Airlines flight between Incheon and Istanbul from January 23 to offer better services to the latter's passengers, mostly Korean. Dispatching Asiana flight attendants to Turkish Airlines is part of a code-sharing agreement between the two airlines. The program was originally set to take effect on January 1, but was postponed until January 23. Asiana Airlines and Turkish Airlines have decided to further solidify their alliance by allowing both airlines to utilize each other's accumulated mileages.
In a rare move in the global aviation history, Asiana Airlines dispatches its two flight attendants to each of two flights per week on the Incheon-Istanbul route. The measure is aimed at better serving Koreans who account for more than 80 percent of the Turkish Airlines passengers. Turkish Airlines operates Airbus 340 with 271 seats twice per week on the Incheon-Istanbul route. Asiana Airlines operates Flight OZ553 bound for Istanbul and Flight OZ554 arriving at Incheon under the code-sharing agreement with Turkish Airlines.
Among the passengers of Flight OZ553 departing Incheon for Istanbul on January 23 were Yoo Han-jun, director-general in charge of aviation planning at the Ministry of Construction and Transportation, Oh Yang-jin, chief of the MOCT's International Aviation Team, Asiana and KAL officials on a visit to Turkey to attend flight negotiations between Korea and Turkey. nw

Flight attendants from KAL and Turkish Airlines