'T'way Air' Taking Off Again with the A330-300

Press Conference on A330-300 Introduction Held on the 17th

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunseok Yoo] "The newly introduced large aircraft A330-300 is a medium- to long-haul twin-engine passenger plane from Airbus, and since its service began in 1994, a total of 1,530 units have been produced worldwide and are operated globally. If you look at the entire fuselage, the curves are very smooth. Therefore, some people call the A330 the goddess of the aircraft world."

T'way Air held a commemorative briefing session for the introduction of the A330-300 on the 17th. The briefing started at the aviation training center and allowed attendees to directly tour the newly introduced A330-300 interior.

T'way's aviation training center was the first established among low-cost carriers (LCCs). It is mainly composed of emergency evacuation, emergency exit, fire suppression, and in-flight service practice rooms. The center was completed in May 2020 at the international cargo terminal of Gimpo Airport. Guided by a flight attendant, we went to the emergency evacuation practice room. Inside, other flight attendants were undergoing type transition training. A T'way Air official explained, "For new hires, the training period takes about three months, and type transition training is conducted sequentially, requiring the same amount of training time as for new employees."

The most eye-catching training area was fire suppression. It was designed to allow practice with a fire occurring in a space similar to the inside of an actual aircraft. A T'way official said, "We use real fire so that trainees can learn how to extinguish it," adding, "In addition, since there are many cases where smoke, not fire, occurs, we conduct training by simulating various situations."

After touring the aviation training center, we were able to see the large aircraft A330-300 at the Gimpo Airport apron. Compared to the B737-800 of another airline nearby, it boasted a significantly larger size. Upon entering the interior, the business class seats welcomed us. The business class consists of a total of 12 seats. A T'way official explained, "The business seats can recline up to 165 degrees," and added, "We also introduced premium flat beds for the first time so that every passenger can have a comfortable journey no matter where they sit."

Next, we moved to the economy seats located right behind. There are a total of 335 seats. The initial feeling when sitting in the economy seat was 'more comfortable than expected.' When leaning back, there was more than a fist-sized space between the knees and the seat in front. A notable point was that there was no display screen for watching videos, which is generally available.

T'way explained that as times have changed and consumers enjoy videos using their smartphones or tablet PCs, the screens were removed. Instead, since they partnered with the OTT channel 'Watcha,' passengers can enjoy the service for free on their own devices. Attention to detail was also felt here. When the meal table is unfolded, a holder is installed so that passengers can comfortably watch videos.

T'way Air announced during the 't’way Blossom 2025' vision declaration ceremony held in 2017 that it aimed to introduce medium- to large-sized aircraft starting in 2020 and begin operations to Europe and North America. Due to variables caused by COVID-19, normal operations were difficult for two years, so the achievement goals were newly announced on this day. The new goal is 3 trillion KRW in sales by 2027. In particular, through continuous expansion, they plan to increase consumer choice and travel convenience, while improving profitability by expanding available seats through flexible aircraft operation by season.

CEO Honggeun Jung stated, "Based on the highest level of safety, reasonable fares, and services, we will pioneer a new market as a long-haul LCC and achieve a second leap forward," adding, "Starting with the introduction of the A330-300, through systematic preparation and operation, T'way Air will become the airline that can soar the highest in the future reorganized aviation industry."

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