Korean Air Celebrates Delivery of First GP7200-powered A380 Aircraft

TOULOUSE, France, May 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Korean Air celebrated the delivery of its first GP7200-powered Airbus A380 aircraft at a ceremony in Toulouse, France.  Korean Air has ordered a total of 10 A380s and will begin operating the aircraft in June.

Korean Air will be the first Airbus A380 customer to dedicate the entire upper deck of the aircraft to Prestige (business) Class passengers with 94 lie-flat Prestige Class seats. It is also the first airline in the industry to have a 'Duty Free Showcase' on the A380 aircraft. The unique feature will have a variety of duty-free products displayed with a dedicated cabin crew member on hand to assist and advise passengers with their shopping.

"We are delighted that Korean Air will become the first Asian carrier to operate the GP7200 engine," said Engine Alliance President Mary Ellen Jones. "By doing so, they offer customers the quietest and most environmentally friendly way to travel on the A380."

The GP7200 engine is the leading engine for the Airbus A380 aircraft.  It has been selected to power 56% of all A380s on order with engine selections.  There are 20 GP7200-powered A380s in service and 104 more on order.

In addition to Korean Air, Emirates and Air France operate GP7200-powered A380 aircraft.  Etihad and Air Austral have also selected GP7200 engines for their A380 fleets.  

The Engine Alliance is a 50/50 joint venture of General Electric (NYSE: GE) and Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX). The GP7200 is the result of innovations to the combined technologies of its member companies' most successful wide-body engines: the GE90 and the PW4000. The GP7200 utilizes the lessons learned from more than 35 million flight hours of successful operation with these legacy engines and incorporates new technology to produce the quietest, most fuel efficient engine for the A380.  The GP7200 is certified at 76,500 pounds (340 kN) of thrust and has the capability to produce more than 81,500 pounds (363 kN). Its emissions are well below current and anticipated regulations.

GP7200 Engine Program participants include SNECMA (France), Techspace Aero (Belgium) and MTU Aero Engines (Germany). For more information about the Engine Alliance, visit www.enginealliance.com.

For further information, contact:

Deb Case, [email protected]  US: 513.243.0094
Katy Padgett, [email protected]  US: 860-565-3433

To view video of the first Korean Air A380 aircraft, click the link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gK2aqfELeYc

SOURCE Pratt & Whitney