Air Premia takes off as South Korea's mid-service carrier
Air Premia is stretching its wings in South Korea's crowded aviation field, carving a niche as an amalgam between a budget carrier and a full-service airline. Established in 2017, Air Premia was launched by the former president of low-cost carrier Jeju Air. During the pandemic, local private equity firm LC Partners took over the airline. In July last year, Air Premia started service on its first international route connecting Seoul's Incheon Airport and Singapore. The carrier has since added other connections to Ho Chi Minh City, Los Angeles and Tokyo's Narita airport. It started long-haul flights to New York in May and to Frankfurt in June. Revenue last year reached 53.1b won ($40m), making Air Premia South Korea's eighth-largest earner out of 11 carriers. "There is a growing likelihood that we will turn a profit this year," said Geum Chang-hyun, the head of Air Premia's passenger business division, told Nikkei. Air Premia's concept is staking a place between being a major carrier and a low-cost carrier (LCC). For two-hour flights to Tokyo from Seoul, for example, the crew offers passengers light meals. On long flights, passengers are treated to in-flight meals worthy of a full-service carrier. For economy-class seats, there are 35 inches (88.9 centimeters) between rows, providing extra room akin to a major carrier. Premium-economy seats have 42 inches of room. Air Premia's fleet consists entirely of the Boeing 787-9, a midsize jet with favorable fuel economy. This precludes the need for pilots and mechanics to obtain qualifications for multiple aircraft models. The greater flexibility in assigning personnel also keeps down operating costs. The Boeing 787-9 contains between 250 and 300 seats and is capable of flying from Seoul to New York. Air Premia currently leases the five planes in its fleet. The plan is to add more jets next year to accommodate the expansion of destination cities, with 15 total planes in operation by 2027. LCCs normally adopt narrow-body jets like the Boeing 737 or the Airbus A320, which have between 150 to 200 seats. These planes are only capable of servicing flights as far as those connecting East Asia to Southeast Asia.<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2023-09-04/unaligned/air-premia-takes-off-as-south-koreas-mid-service-carrier
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Air Premia takes off as South Korea's mid-service carrier
Air Premia is stretching its wings in South Korea's crowded aviation field, carving a niche as an amalgam between a budget carrier and a full-service airline. Established in 2017, Air Premia was launched by the former president of low-cost carrier Jeju Air. During the pandemic, local private equity firm LC Partners took over the airline. In July last year, Air Premia started service on its first international route connecting Seoul's Incheon Airport and Singapore. The carrier has since added other connections to Ho Chi Minh City, Los Angeles and Tokyo's Narita airport. It started long-haul flights to New York in May and to Frankfurt in June. Revenue last year reached 53.1b won ($40m), making Air Premia South Korea's eighth-largest earner out of 11 carriers. "There is a growing likelihood that we will turn a profit this year," said Geum Chang-hyun, the head of Air Premia's passenger business division, told Nikkei. Air Premia's concept is staking a place between being a major carrier and a low-cost carrier (LCC). For two-hour flights to Tokyo from Seoul, for example, the crew offers passengers light meals. On long flights, passengers are treated to in-flight meals worthy of a full-service carrier. For economy-class seats, there are 35 inches (88.9 centimeters) between rows, providing extra room akin to a major carrier. Premium-economy seats have 42 inches of room. Air Premia's fleet consists entirely of the Boeing 787-9, a midsize jet with favorable fuel economy. This precludes the need for pilots and mechanics to obtain qualifications for multiple aircraft models. The greater flexibility in assigning personnel also keeps down operating costs. The Boeing 787-9 contains between 250 and 300 seats and is capable of flying from Seoul to New York. Air Premia currently leases the five planes in its fleet. The plan is to add more jets next year to accommodate the expansion of destination cities, with 15 total planes in operation by 2027. LCCs normally adopt narrow-body jets like the Boeing 737 or the Airbus A320, which have between 150 to 200 seats. These planes are only capable of servicing flights as far as those connecting East Asia to Southeast Asia.<br/>
