Korean Air Marks 50th Anniversary of North America Routes... "Key Role in Economic and Cultural Exchange"

Received a Plaque of Appreciation from the LA Mayor

Eric Garcetti, Mayor of LA (right), presenting a plaque of appreciation to Jin-ho Lee, Head of Korean Air's Americas Regional Headquarters (left), and taking a commemorative photo together.
Photo by Korean Air

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Hyun-seok] Korean Air received a plaque of appreciation for its 50 years of service since launching its first Seoul?LA route flight on April 19, 1972, during which it has operated flights to major cities in the Americas and played a key role in economic and cultural exchanges between countries.

On the 19th, Korean Air announced that it received the plaque of appreciation on the 18th (local time) from Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti in recognition of its contributions over the past 50 years.

On April 19, 1972, at 5:19 p.m., Korean Air departed Gimpo Airport aboard a Boeing 707 jet aircraft, flying across the Pacific with stops in Tokyo and Hawaii before reaching LA. This marked the first passenger flight across the Pacific in Korean history.

At the time, thousands of people gathered at the intermediate stop, Honolulu Airport in Hawaii, and the final destination, LA Airport, waving the Taegeukgi flag to welcome the Korean Air Boeing 707 aircraft and its crew. In an era when overseas exchanges were extremely rare, Korean Air served as a messenger delivering news from the homeland to the Korean diaspora in distant LA, fostering a sense of longing and pride for their country.

Since its first flight to the Americas in 1972, Korean Air’s routes to the region have grown dramatically over 50 years. Initially serving only two cities, LA and Hawaii, the network has expanded to 13 cities, and the annual passenger volume on American routes increased from approximately 43,800 in 1972 to about 3 million in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic?a 69-fold increase.

The first American route was operated by a Boeing 707 with 171 seats. The total flight time from Seoul to Tokyo, then Hawaii, and finally LA was as long as 17 hours. Fifty years later, Korean Air now operates new long-haul aircraft such as the Boeing 787 and Boeing 777 on its American routes. The introduction of a direct flight to LA has reduced flight time to 11 hours, greatly enhancing passenger convenience.

Since Korean Air first entered the American market, its route network has served as a stepping stone connecting human and material exchanges between Korea and the U.S. This has facilitated active social and cultural exchanges between the two countries and significantly contributed to economic value creation within the U.S.

As of 2019, Korean Air operated passenger and cargo flights on 13 routes to the U.S., generating approximately 11,000 direct and indirect jobs and creating an economic value of about $110 million annually in related industries. Additionally, before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, about 1.11 million Korean passengers visited the U.S. using Korean Air annually, with their estimated spending in the U.S. totaling $400 million per year.

Korean Air’s dedicated cargo terminals at Los Angeles and New York JFK airports have played a pivotal role as air logistics hubs on the U.S. West and East coasts. Taken together, over the past 50 years, Korean Air has generated approximately 100,000 direct and indirect jobs in the U.S. and created an annual economic impact of $17 billion.

Building on its entry into the American market, Korean Air has continued to grow and has become a global airline serving 120 cities in 43 countries today. In 2000, it led the formation of SkyTeam, the world’s leading airline alliance, alongside major U.S. carriers Delta Air Lines, AeroMexico, and Air France. In 2018, Korean Air became the first Korean airline to implement a transpacific joint venture with Delta Air Lines. This collaboration organically connects about 290 cities in the Americas with over 80 cities in Asia, offering customers more convenient and diverse schedules.

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