Boeing has confirmed that Korean Air (KAL) will place a major order for Next Generation 737s during South Korean President Kim Dae Jung's visit to Washington DC in early June.
The airline will announce an order for up to 27 737-700s and -800s on 9 June. The deal, as first reported by Flight International (22 -28 April), consists of 11 737-800s and 11 737-900s, plus five options.
General Electric Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) is supplying a further eight 737-800s. As part of the deal, the cash-strapped airline is trading in 26 Boeing MD-80s and Fokker 100s to Boeing and GECAS and is receiving soft US loans to finance the deal.
GECAS will deliver the first 737 to KAL in May 2000, while the first aircraft to be delivered directly from Boeing will follow in August of the same year.
Source: Flight International
