Air Premia claims to be Korea’s first ‘hybrid’ airline and are about to start routes to Canada. This is good news for Koreans who have a narrow selection of airlines to Korea.
If a new airline enters the Korea-Canada route, which is currently operated by only two airlines, Korean Air and Air Canada, improvement in service and price reduction is expected due to competition to attract customers.
Founded in 2017, Air Premia received the government’s air transport business license in 2019 and is scheduled to start service between Los Angeles and Singapore around June or July of this year. After that, it plans to advance into long-distance routes such as Vancouver, Hawaii, and Spain.
If the Vancouver route starts, the Toronto route can also be expected. Air Premia applied for permission to operate the Incheon-LA route with the U.S. Department of Transportation in July last year and is awaiting approval in the first half of this year.
The ‘Hybrid Service Carrier’ promoted by Air Premia refers to a new concept airline created by taking only good points for customers, such as premium services from large airlines and low fares from low-cost airlines.
The plan is to secure and operate 10 Boeing 787-9s, which are mid- to long-range aircraft, by 2024.
The new airline says it will provide consumers with a variety of choices and benefits while providing business-class services, including introducing premium economy seats with good cost-effectiveness, providing high-quality in-flight meals and Wi-Fi, and large seat monitors.
In particular, the maximum seat width is 42 inches, which is the widest among models in the same class. The price is said to be 80% of that of its competitors.