Asiana To Import New Passenger Jets

Plans to increase flights to Nanjing, Harbin, and Hawaii and introduce new counter service system next year

Asiana Airlines has designated its management theme as “new creation and creative reform” in a bid to sustain its growth for a third consecutive year this year.
In order to continue to generate profit for this year, the airline will put a total of 11 new planes in the sky including six A321-200s, two A330s, a B777-200ER, and two B747Fs. It will also add six A380 passenger jets, nicknamed “the hotel in the sky” for their luxurious interiors and comfort, from 2014 to 2017. The airline will also import 30 A350XWBs from 2016 on schedule.
The air carrier just broke ground on its new terminal on a 62,060 square-meter site at Incheon International Airport next to its No.1 terminal in order to make room for its fleet of new passenger aircraft, including a repair shop, engine storage, automatic parts storage, and workshop, all slated for completion in 2013.
The airline has also decided to introduce a new next-generation passenger processing system to speed up such procedures as booking, ticketing, and other services at airport counters.
The airline signed a contract with Amadeus, an IT service firm, to introduce the new passenger service system last year at a cost of 60 billion won and 100 new employees to install the system by November 2013.
Under the new system, passengers will be able to book hotels, rent cars, buy tickets, cancel their tickets, and get reimbursed within 30 seconds, the airline said.
The airline will also be able to increase the number of flights to such countries as China (Nanjing and Harbin) and the United States (Hawaii) to seven weekly flights between those destinations and Incheon International Airport.
Asiana Airlines was the first carrier to obtain the ISO14001 (Environmental management system) certification in 1995 and defined the environment as a matter for consideration in decision-making based on ISO14001. Consequently, Asiana Airlines recognizes the social responsibility for environmental pollution prevention in addition to the quest for profit. Asiana Airlines has established an environmental policy and objectives in detail, and implements them in order to minimize pollution.
As the noise and exhaust gases generated by the aircraft operation are an important issue, Asiana Airlines maintains and operates Stage III engines only, which comply with the noise regulation criteria set by the IATA (International Air Transport Association) for all operational aircraft to minimize noise and exhaust emissions.
Accordingly, each team implements the environmental management program continuously in order to manage the environmental impact, and improves the program by management review after internal and external inspections once a year.
Asiana Airlines made the list of the top 10 airlines flying international routes in 2007 by “Travel and Leisure” magazine published in New York. The global publication conducted a survey of its readers worldwide and the Korean airline made the list for the first time since its inauguration.
Korean Air, the representative air carrier for Korea, failed to make the list.
Singapore Airlines took the top place on the list with 88.22 points, Jet Airways (86.67), Emirate Airlines (82.68) Cathay Pacific (79.26), and Thai Airlines (79.24) rounded out the top five. Asiana (74.44), JAL (75.77), and Silk Air (74.97) were among the rest of the list.

A photo of a jumbo passenger jet plane in service at Asiana Airlines, which plans to import more of such super passenger jets including six A380s in 2014.