SkyTeam carrier Air France is to open a new transatlantic service this year, operating to the US city of Phoenix. Air France states that flights will commence from Paris Charles de Gaulle from 23 May. It will operate three-times weekly on the route to Phoenix, the state capital of Arizona. Air France will deploy Boeing 787-9s for the connection. The twinjets will be configured with 30 business-class, 21 premium-economy and 228 economy seats. The Phoenix route will take to 17 the number of US cities served by the airline, among a total of 24 in North America.<br/>
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Korean Air, Korea's largest air carrier, plans to conduct safety checks on its Boeing 737-900ER aircraft, industry sources said Wednesday, following a recommendation by the FAA for operators to conduct safety checks. The airline plans to conduct a special inspection to check whether the door plugs of its six 737-900ER units are properly secured. Korean Air is the only Korean airline that operates the model in question. The decision came after the FAA on Sunday advised operators of Boeing 737-900ER planes to inspect the door plugs after a Boeing 737 Max 9 unit carrying 177 passengers in the US made an emergency landing due to a cabin panel blowout earlier this month. According to the FAA, the two models are equipped with the same type of door plug. A Korean Air official said the company has regularly conducted comprehensive safety inspections of its 737-900ER units, while adding that no safety-related issues were identified. <br/>