note
KAL Korean Air Lines is flag carrier of South Korea. It employs just over 18,000 people and carries over 20 million passengers annually.
Korean Air Lines was founded in 1962 as government enterprise. KAL replaced KNA Korean National Airlines founded in 1946 as a national airline of South Korea. Airline become bankrupt and was taken over by Hanjin Transport Group and transformed into a private enterprise in March of 1969.
KAL started transpacific service in April 1971, first cargo only flights from Seoul to Los Angeles and year later passenger flights were added. In May 1973 its first Boeing 747 joined the fleet. In October its first cargo route to Europe is opened with flights to Paris followed in March 1975 with passenger flights. In June 1989 first Boeing 747-400 joins the fleet. By 1999 KAL has become world's second largest commercial airline in cargo volume - over 160 million tons annually.
In March 1997 first Airbus A330 and Boeing 777 join the fleet. In January 2000, first next generation Boeing 737 is introduced. In June 2000 KAL becomes founding member of SkyTeam airline alliance. By 2009 KAL serves 118 cities in 39 countries. Airline serves London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Milan, Madrid, Rome, Munich, Prague, Moscow, Vienna, St Petersburg, Istanbul and Paris in Europe, Tel Aviv, Cairo and Dubai in Middle East. Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Auckland and Fiji are served in Australia, Honolulu, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Vancouver, Anchorage, Chicago, Washington DC, New York, Vancouver, Toronto and Atlanta in North America, Sao Paulo in South America. Tashkent, Urumuqi and Ulaanbaatar in Central Asia. Southeast Asia, China and Japan are covered with dense network from Seoul and secondary gateways in South Korea.
founded - demised (age)
1962 - present (63years)
headquarters
1370, Gonghang-dong, Gangseo-gu, 157-712, Seoul
web
base airports
related operators
current /stored fleet (173)
