South Korean turboprop operator Jeju Air is seeking to lease Boeing 737-800s and may also place an order for this aircraft type.
“From next April” the airline hopes to start operating 737-800s and it will “gradually increase the 737 fleet to 15 aircraft”, says a Jeju Air spokeswoman in Seoul.
She says the 737 fleet is likely to be a mix of leased and purchased aircraft.
Jeju Air wants 737s “because current demand on the Jeju route is getting strong and the future plan is to operate internationally so we think we need a bigger aircraft,” says the spokeswoman, adding that it plans to operate to China, Japan and other destinations in east Asia including southeast Asia.
The airline is based in and derives its name from the South Korean island of Jeju, which is a popular tourist destination for Koreans and is increasingly becoming popular with Chinese and Japanese.
Currently the domestic airline only operates from Jeju to Seoul Gimpo and Busan.
But it has been looking to launch a service from Jeju to Seoul Incheon, confirms the spokeswoman although she declines to elaborate.
Jeju Air started flying in June 2006 and has a fleet of five Bombardier Dash 8 Q400s although one is parked because in August this year the aircraft skidded off a runway in Busan and its landing gear and one of the propellers is reportedly damaged.
Jeju Air’s nearest competitor is ATR turboprop operator Han Sung Airlines but it also faces increased competition from new entrants such as Fokker 100 operator Yeongnam Airlines and Airbus A320 operator Incheon Tiger Airways, a joint venture between the Incheon municipal government and Singapore low-cost carrier Tiger Airways.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
