Air Premia's First Flight on 'Gimpo~Jeju' Route... Four Years After Launch

Shim Ju-yeop, CEO of Air Premia (second from left), and the first reservation passenger (third from left) are taking a commemorative photo.

[Asia Economy Reporter Dongwoo Lee] The newly established low-cost carrier (LCC) Air Premia commenced its first flight on the 11th.

Air Premia launched its inaugural flight at 6:30 a.m. on flight YP541 on the Gimpo~Jeju route, achieving a 100% load factor. This marks four years since the company was founded in July 2017.

Considering the COVID-19 situation, Air Premia will operate the Gimpo~Jeju route twice daily, once in the morning and once in the afternoon, on a round-trip schedule until October 30. From the second quarter of next year, it plans to expand its routes to include Incheon~Los Angeles (LA) in the United States and Southeast Asia.

The seats are operated in two types: ‘Economy 35’ and ‘Premia 42,’ with seat pitches of 35 inches and 42 inches respectively, offering the widest and most comfortable class in its category.

The aircraft is a large Boeing 787-9 (Dreamliner) used for medium- to long-haul routes, with a total of 309 seats. This is approximately 58% more seats compared to aircraft operated by existing LCCs. Notably, the Dreamliner introduced by the company is made of carbon composite materials, providing high durability, and the high-performance HEPA filters installed inside circulate cabin air every 2 to 3 minutes, maintaining air quality cleaner than outside air.

Air Premia's first aircraft Boeing 787-9 (Dreamliner)

To celebrate the new route launch, Air Premia is running promotions such as new member coupons and a premium economy seat 1+1 event. New customers registering on the official website will receive a voucher worth 15,000 KRW, and when booking two premium economy seats, one of the two seats will be provided free of charge in the 1+1 event. Customers who book tickets using a Samsung Card after registering on the website will receive an immediate 10% discount.

Previously, after its establishment, Air Premia obtained its air transport business license in March 2019 and submitted its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) application in February last year. However, due to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the approval process took a total of 16 months.

The inaugural flight ceremony was attended by Air Premia CEO Juyup Shim, JC Partners CEO Jongcheol Lee, Sharp Aviation K CEO Soonseok Baek, as well as flight and cabin crew, maintenance staff, and the first reservation passenger.

CEO Shim stated, "We will expand to international medium- and long-haul routes to provide a wider range of air services. We will do our best to enhance customer satisfaction by offering high-quality premium services and reasonable prices, aiming to provide comfort that anyone can enjoy."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.