Korean Air New Branding, 787 & A330 Livery, Meals and More

12 godzin temu

Zdjęcie: korean-air-new-branding,-787-&-a330-livery,-meals-and-more

SEOUL- Flag carrier of South Korea, Korean Air (KE) revealed its refreshed corporate identity on Tuesday, marking the first visual brand change for the carrier in over four decades.

The update features a redesigned aircraft livery and enhanced first class dining menus.

Korean Air New Branding

At a ceremony inside a company hangar at Seoul Gimpo International Airport, airline executives showcased the new design on a Boeing 787-10 aircraft. The redesign maintains Korean Air’s signature deep blue color but adopts a minimalist approach that aligns with current industry trends.

Photo: Korean Air

The iconic “Taegeuk” symbol, inspired by Korea’s traditional “Sangmo” hat dance and the rotating motion of aircraft engines, now features a more stylized design.

Korean Air has increased the size of both this logo and the “Korean” wordmark, which appears in a new font with smoother curves and brushstroke-inspired details. The logo now also appears on the underside of the aircraft.

Following contemporary airline design trends, Korean Air has eliminated the cheatline—the decorative horizontal stripe that traditionally ran along the aircraft body—replacing it with a smooth, flowing curve. The company has also implemented newly developed paint technology to create a shiny, metallic effect on the livery.

David Pacey, executive vice president for inflight service and lounges, explained that the redesign aims to transform “the mindset” both within the airline and how it’s perceived externally.

Merger with Asiana Airlines

Korean Air’s corporate rebranding comes amid its ongoing merger with Asiana Airlines, a privately owned Korean carrier. David Pacey explained that the vision driving this transformation aims to evolve Korean Air “from being a Korean airline to a global airline based in Korea.”

Asiana currently operates as a subsidiary of Korean Air and will continue functioning in parallel for a two-year transition period before complete integration on January 1, 2027. The repainting process will begin with Korean Air’s fleet, with each aircraft requiring two weeks for a full repaint, while Asiana planes will receive the new livery after the full merger date.

Korean Air unveiled the new identity at an exclusive VIP event for media representatives and premium customers in Seoul, generating significant excitement.

Despite attempts to maintain secrecy until the official reveal, aviation enthusiasts—who often camp near hangars when rumors of new livery designs circulate—managed to capture and leak images of the redesigned aircraft. A photographer snapped a picture during a nighttime aircraft movement, and the image quickly went viral online.

The leaked photographs, however, could not reveal the comprehensive three-dimensional branding that will appear on check-in kiosks, virtual loyalty cards, and the airline’s website. The redesign extends to printed materials featuring a new two-dimensional aesthetic inspired by Korea’s landscapes, incorporating traditional “Jogakbo” patchwork designs on items like boarding passes.

The newly painted aircraft will also debut the airline’s updated business class cabin, called Prestige Suites 2.0, which remained invisible from exterior views. This enhanced cabin will make its inaugural flight this week, operating between Seoul Incheon and Tokyo Narita in Japan.

Overhauls Inflight Dining Experience

Korean Air has introduced a completely reimagined menu concept that increases passenger-crew interaction and diversifies food offerings. The airline has pivoted from its traditional French-inspired cuisine to a modernized interpretation of classic dishes.

Chef Seakyeong Kim, proprietor of Cesta and other Seoul restaurants, led the menu redesign effort. First class and Prestige business class passengers will now dine using new Bernardaud porcelain and upgraded glassware, served with fine-dining restaurant protocols through enhanced crew training. The dining enhancements extend across all cabin classes as part of the comprehensive rebranding initiative.

Airline executives and culinary teams spent two years conducting taste tests at altitude to determine optimal flavor profiles that account for how taste perception changes during flight. This marks the first premium cabin menu update in 15 years.

The transition presented significant challenges in breaking established service patterns that cabin crews had mastered over years. The new service approach requires additional preparation time for flight attendants, who now follow detailed plating guides to recreate the chef’s intended presentation. Amuse bouche preparation proves particularly demanding, with items like the crab and lemon bite requiring nearly a dozen steps and 8-10 minutes to prepare properly.

David Pacey emphasized that all meals must conform to strict dimensional standards to fit within galley carts while maintaining the ability to be heated and plated by cabin crew to restaurant-quality standards.

Korean Air serves over 50,000 meals daily across outbound and inbound Seoul flights. First class passengers, who will receive new seating products by 2026, experience a more intimate setting in cabins containing only six to twelve seats.

The revamped service streamlines the dining experience from nine courses to six while elevating overall quality. Meals now begin with three amuse bouche varieties plus a 10-gram caviar tin, followed by soup and salad courses before the main dish.

After a cheese course, passengers enjoy dessert consisting of sweet cake or tart with ice cream on flights departing Seoul, or assorted petits fours on Seoul-bound flights.

Kimchi and Global Cuisine Variety

Korean Air now serves kimchi in all cabin classes, addressing a notable absence for the country’s flagship carrier. The airline previously avoided offering the traditional Korean pickled cabbage due to concerns about its strong aroma in the confined cabin environment, but David Pacey confirmed the company has revised its position on this matter.

The airline’s culinary expansion introduces sophisticated dishes including Moroccan spice lamb chop, abalone with rice, and watercress and apple salad. These modern interpretations replace conventional airline fare like beef or chicken with more distinctive options such as duck confit, surf and turf combining veal tenderloin and crab, and steamed black cod en papillote. Korean Air has also developed new variations of bimbimbap, featuring beef brisket, octopus, or truffle mushroom.

Passengers seeking lighter options can select from walnut cranberry sandwiches, egg toast, or French dip sandwiches. Between primary meal services, travelers can enjoy Vietnamese pho and smoked salmon open-face sandwiches, specifically designed to provide easily digestible options for passengers during extended flights.

The airline faces the challenge of maintaining consistent food quality across both its Seoul Incheon catering facilities and contracted providers at international airports. Pacey identified comprehensive taste testing as the most demanding aspect of the menu redesign process. His team visited 54 different catering stations worldwide, evaluating location-specific menus that vary by departure city, with Paris offering different selections than London.

Lounge Upgrades and Fleet Modernization

Korean Air announced plans to revitalize its airport lounges across its global network, with Seoul Incheon, Los Angeles, and New York JFK prioritized for initial upgrades. The airline will soon implement a real-time guidance system at Incheon hub to direct travelers to the least congested lounge and most convenient location for their departure gate.

The airline hired Singapore-based LTW Design Works, known for designing numerous Grand Hyatt properties throughout Asia and the Four Seasons in Seoul, to lead the lounge redesign project. New culinary features will include cooked-to-order noodle bars and live cooking stations preparing fresh steamed buns.

Each renovated lounge will feature an on-site bakery and patisserie producing fresh croissants, pizza, and desserts. The first redesigned lounge will debut in August, with remaining locations following in 2026. Both Los Angeles and New York JFK lounges will double their current footprint by summer 2026.

Korean Air continues its fleet modernization with Boeing 777-300ER aircraft currently undergoing retrofits to add premium economy cabins, with additional aircraft types scheduled for similar upgrades. The airline acknowledged lagging behind competitors in onboard connectivity and plans to implement inflight Wi-Fi across its fleet.

Business and first class passengers will receive enhanced amenity kits featuring a signature fragrance and mattress pads, while first class customers will enjoy new Frette pajamas and bedding. Following complete integration with Asiana, the unified carrier will introduce new staff uniforms.

David Pacey revealed evolving passenger demographics, noting that the typical first class customer has shifted from predominantly Korean males over 40 to an almost equal gender distribution. The airline’s business class cabins frequently sell out before economy, attracting younger travelers seeking premium experiences.

With more than 55 percent of Korean Air’s customer base originating outside South Korea, the expanded airline with its refreshed identity positions itself to meet global market demands and adapt onboard service to changing premium customer expectations.

Stay tuned with us. Further, follow us on social media for the latest updates.

Join us on Telegram Group for the Latest Aviation Updates. Subsequently, follow us on Google News

South Korean Airlines Beats Japanese Carriers on Korea-Japan Routes

The post Korean Air New Branding, 787 & A330 Livery, Meals and More appeared first on Aviation A2Z.

Idź do oryginalnego materiału