And so Pepsi-Cola Korean Air becomes the 3rd CSeries operator. Carrier has 10 CS300 aircraft on order.

Bombardier Commercial Aircraft today celebrated the delivery of a first CS300 aircraft to Seoul-based Korean Air Lines Co., Ltd., the Asian launch customer for the C Series aircraft family.

Executives from Korean Air and Bombardier and several hundred shop floor employees who build the C Series aircraft attended the delivery ceremony at the C Series production facility at Mirabel, Quebec.

Press release
http://www.bombardier.com/en/media/news ... ercom.html

Nice to see another airline than LX get the aircraft.

What routes will it serve? I would say South Korea, China, and other close markets like Japan.

Air Baltic also has them in service.

There are Airlines that fly everything with two wings successfully (LH) and others not so successfully (TG). Hope KE will be in the former category.

I read somewhere that the delivery flight is to GMP, perhaps indicating it will be doing some domestic runs and/or markets into China and Japan.

itisi wrote:

KarelXWB wrote:

And so Pepsi-Cola Korean Air becomes the 3rd CSeries operator. Carrier has 10 CS300 aircraft on order.

Pepsi Cola??? I don't get it.

I guess some irony about the (vague) resemblance between the Pepsi logo and the Korean Taegeuk, that you can see on the tail plane of KE aircraft. And yes, the KE livery is fantastic on this aircraft as on all others in my opinion.

Congrats Korean Air and Bombardier! The aircraft of the future!

Anyone know how the cabin is fitted out?

Interesting that an Asian mainline carrier is the one that gets the C-series before the numerous LCCs in the region.

DTWorld wrote:

I read somewhere that the delivery flight is to GMP, perhaps indicating it will be doing some domestic runs and/or markets into China and Japan.

Given the plane size they operate into China and Japan (772 and 773) I bet they won't send the bird internationally for now. Or they may do induction at GMP and ferry it to ICN for its services.

Michael

trex8 wrote:

Anyone know how the cabin is fitted out?

127 seats - 25 Premium Economy, 102 Economy, no first.

Thin domestic routes like Seoul - Pohang, Ulsan and Yeosu are good candidates for this aircraft type.

DTWorld wrote:

I read somewhere that the delivery flight is to GMP, perhaps indicating it will be doing some domestic runs and/or markets into China and Japan.

The Korea Herald says the CS300 will begin service Jan 16 on domestic routes.
http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20171220000856

Idk if it’s just me..but the CS300 looks like a mini Dreamliner

My goodness thats a pretty plane...I’m hoping for a top up order. Is there a strong regional market in Korea for an aircraft the size of the CS100?

kabq737 wrote:

My goodness thats a pretty plane...I’m hoping for a top up order. Is there a strong regional market in Korea for an aircraft the size of the CS100?

Maybe strong enough to open up new domestic routes even. I remember KPO used to have quiet some love with flights to CJU (suspended when the airport closed for repair work on the runway) now the airport is fully operational, maybe its time for some action

VCEflyboy wrote:

There are Airlines that fly everything with two wings successfully (LH) and others not so successfully (TG). Hope KE will be in the former category.

KE usually does pretty well.

RE: Pepsi - was at SYD a few months ago an a KE 747 taxied past and a little girl said "that's such a pretty tail, what does it mean" and her mum was very rapid in responding with "On that airplane, they only serve Pepsi". I laughed.

Why didn't they put F in? Also if the config above is true, then it's quite the spacious config!

Over the last few years at least MOLIT (basically the Korean CAA) has, as I understood it, made all new types initially only fly domestic routes and thus this is probably why the aircraft is initially based out of Gimpo. The KE B787s and OZ A350s did similar, mostly flying domestic Gimpo - Jeju sectors.

OA940 wrote:

Why didn't they put F in? Also if the config above is true, then it's quite the spacious config!

I don't know why no First, but here is the seat layout map.
http://www.koreanair.com/global/en/trav ... Code=cs300

It is a 36 inch pitch in Premium Economy and 32 inch in Economy. Also supposed to be the first C Series operator with in-seat power at all seats and wireless IFE.

10 is a very small fleet. But yet, its not like the CS3 is replacing an older type performing the same role. Before seeing the existing fleet, I was wondering how the top up order would be - now I'm not sure there ever will be more frames ordered.

Maybe a few CS1 for further growth down the market?

hoons90 wrote:

Thin domestic routes like Seoul - Pohang, Ulsan and Yeosu are good candidates for this aircraft type.

Smaller Chinese/Japanese cities maybe? Plus Far East Russian cities?

They can fly basically wherever they want to in Asia with that plane. Or west to Guam.

Where will these be based? Will they be doing flights out of ICN/GMP or will they be based at a secondary hub like CJU? 10 aircraft is too small of a fleet to be too spread out.

https://www.flightradar24.com/KAL030D/fecd8d5

Delivery flight.

FATFlyer wrote:

OA940 wrote:

Why didn't they put F in? Also if the config above is true, then it's quite the spacious config!

I don't know why no First, but here is the seat layout map.
http://www.koreanair.com/global/en/trav ... Code=cs300

It is a 36 inch pitch in Premium Economy and 32 inch in Economy. Also supposed to be the first C Series operator with in-seat power at all seats and wireless IFE.

Three toilets and huge galley at the back... they won't need that for short domestic flights unless they cater the plane for six flights at once. Perhaps they will start something game-changing with the CS300...

Beautiful livery on a beautiful bird. Glad deliveries have started

CRJ900 wrote:

FATFlyer wrote:

OA940 wrote:

Why didn't they put F in? Also if the config above is true, then it's quite the spacious config!

I don't know why no First, but here is the seat layout map.
http://www.koreanair.com/global/en/trav ... Code=cs300

It is a 36 inch pitch in Premium Economy and 32 inch in Economy. Also supposed to be the first C Series operator with in-seat power at all seats and wireless IFE.

Three toilets and huge galley at the back... they won't need that for short domestic flights unless they cater the plane for six flights at once. Perhaps they will start something game-changing with the CS300...

Beautiful livery on a beautiful bird. Glad deliveries have started

Well Asian Airlines are known for their better services in Economy.

But then again what many people fail to realise is that the CS300 is basically a better A319, and the CS100 has the same range (both 6000km). So it's more than possible that future operators, including KE, would put them into 5-6 hour flights.

I reckon it'll be mostly used on their domestic Gimpo/Jeju to Busan/Daegu/Jinju/Pohang/Ulsan/Yeosu flights at first. When summer comes, I reckon they might take it off some of their Jeju routes (after all, capacity wise there's no way they can complete with the A330s on the PUS-CJU route for example) and perhaps place them on some of their longer, less busy China routes (Kunming and Urumqi come to mind). I also wouldn't be terribly surprised if we see them operating some of the airline's international routes from Busan, or even use the aircraft to open up new routes from the city, Okinawa perhaps?

c152sy wrote:

I reckon it'll be mostly used on their domestic Gimpo/Jeju to Busan/Daegu/Jinju/Pohang/Ulsan/Yeosu flights at first. When summer comes, I reckon they might take it off some of their Jeju routes (after all, capacity wise there's no way they can complete with the A330s on the PUS-CJU route for example) and perhaps place them on some of their longer, less busy China routes (Kunming and Urumqi come to mind). I also wouldn't be terribly surprised if we see them operating some of the airline's international routes from Busan, or even use the aircraft to open up new routes from the city, Okinawa perhaps?

Is there enough range for the aircraft to fly from KMG/URC to ICN, especially after considering URC's temperature and KMG's altitude?

Anyone have a source for interior shots?

teriyaki wrote:

Anyone have a source for interior shots?

A few interior photos in the slide show at this page.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/todayinthesky/2017/12/23/first-look-korean-air-shows-off-its-first-bombardier-c-series-cs-300/978905001/

wedgetail737 wrote:

In the past, I don't think Korean Air's F-100's and F-28-4000's didn't have 1st class either. I kind of suspect that the CS300's are for flights within the Korean Peninsula.

Agreed, plus their lack of IFE PTVs also hints at this, perhaps PUS-FUK too

rlwynn wrote:

They can fly basically wherever they want to in Asia with that plane. Or west to Guam.

They must have moved Guam since the last time I checked, when it was southeast of Korea...

I suspect this airplane will do very well, and it is just a matter of time before it catches major traction. I hope Korean orders 100 when they realize it's a great plane. I know, far fetched, but I just love this airplane!!

DarkSnowyNight wrote:

rlwynn wrote:

They can fly basically wherever they want to in Asia with that plane. Or west to Guam.

They must have moved Guam since the last time I checked, when it was southeast of Korea...

Ha, east west, semantics.