Asiana Airlines facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Asiana Airlines
아시아나航空

Founded	17 February 1988; 37 years ago (1988-02-17) (as Seoul Airlines)
Commenced operations	23 December 1988; 36 years ago (1988-12-23)
Hubs	Seoul–Gimpo Seoul–Incheon
Focus cities	Busan Jeju
Frequent-flyer program	Asiana Club
Alliance	Star Alliance
Subsidiaries	Air Busan Air Seoul Asiana Airport Asiana Cargo Asiana IDT Asiana Sabre Kumho Resort
Fleet size	79
Destinations	78
Parent company	Kumho Asiana Group Korea Development Bank
Headquarters	Osoe-dong, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Key people	Han Chang-soo (President & CEO)
Revenue	₩5,552 billion (2015)
Employees	10,380 (2015)

Asiana Airlines Inc. (Hangul: 아시아나항공; Hanja: 아시아나航空; RR: Asiana Hanggong KRX: 020560) is a major airline from South Korea. Its main office is in Seoul. In 2019, Asiana Airlines handled about 25% of all international flights in South Korea. It also managed 20% of flights within the country.

The airline's main international airport is Incheon International Airport in Seoul. It also uses Gimhae International Airport in Busan. For flights within South Korea, its main airport is Gimpo International Airport in Seoul. Asiana Airlines offers full services and is a member of Star Alliance. This is a group of airlines that work together.

Asiana Airlines flies to 90 international places and 14 places within South Korea. It also has 27 cargo routes. These routes go across Asia, Europe, North America, and Oceania. In December 2014, about 10,183 people worked for the company. Most of its pilots, ground staff, and flight attendants are based in Seoul.

Asiana Airlines owns the largest part of Air Busan. Air Busan is a low-cost airline that Asiana started with Busan Metropolitan City. Asiana also owns another low-cost airline called Air Seoul.

About Asiana Airlines

How Asiana Airlines Started

Before Asiana Airlines, Korean Air was the only major airline in South Korea. It was bought by Hanjin Transportation in 1969. Other big companies wanted to compete in the airline business. So, Asiana Airlines was created in 1988.

The Kumho Asiana Group started Asiana. It was first called Seoul Air International. Asiana began on February 17, 1988. Flights started in December 1988, with the first one going to Busan.

Growing into a Global Airline

Asiana Airlines grew quickly after it started. It became a medium-sized global airline. In December 1998, an Asiana plane flew the president of South Korea for the first time.

On January 28, 2003, Asiana joined Star Alliance. This helped the airline connect to more places around the world. It also made its brand more known. In 2004, Asiana added new planes like the Airbus A330 and Boeing 777-200ER. It also added more routes to mainland China.

Today, Asiana offers international flights to 71 cities in 23 countries. It has 91 international routes. For flights within South Korea, it serves 12 cities on 14 routes. Asiana Cargo, the airline's freight part, also flies to 29 cities in 14 countries. In 2012, the airline made about US$5.3 billion in sales.

New Look for Asiana

In February 2006, Asiana Airlines updated its look. This was to match other parts of its parent company, the Kumho Asiana Group. The names of the travel classes changed. First, business, and economy classes became first, business, and travel classes. The colors for these classes also changed to yellow, blue, and red. New uniforms were made for the flight crew too.

Awards and Achievements

Asiana Airlines started focusing on being eco-friendly in the mid-1990s. In 1995, they stopped allowing smoking on flights. They also stopped selling cigarettes. In 1996, the company received a special award for meeting environmental standards. In 2001, the South Korean Ministry of Environment called Asiana the "first environmentally friendly company in the service industry."

Asiana also has programs to reduce pollution. They work with the Rainforest Alliance for the coffee served on their planes.

Airline of the Year Awards

• In 2009, Air Transport World gave Asiana its Airline of the Year award. This is a very important award in the airline world.
• In 2010, Skytrax named Asiana Airlines the Airline of the Year.
• In 2011, Global Traveller gave Asiana the 2011 Airline of the Year award. They also won in six other areas.
• In 2012, Business Traveller named Asiana the Best Overall Airline in the World.

Asiana Airlines is the first airline to win these top awards for four years in a row. This earned them the title of "Golden Grand Slam Airline." They have also won "Best Airline for Onboard Service and Flight Attendants" for eight years in a row. Skytrax rates Asiana Airlines as a "5-Star" airline.

Changes and Mergers

In April 2019, Asiana Airlines' parent company, Kumho Asiana Group, decided to sell Asiana Airlines. This was to help with money problems.

In November 2020, the South Korean government announced a plan. They wanted to merge Asiana Airlines with Korean Air. Korean Air would buy a large part of Asiana. The two airlines would keep their separate names for a while. Then, they would combine into one big airline.

The plan also included combining the low-cost airlines Air Busan, Air Seoul, and Jin Air. This new low-cost airline would fly to smaller airports in South Korea and nearby Asian countries.

By February 2024, Korean Air had gotten approval from 13 out of 14 countries for the merger. They are waiting for the final approval from the United States.

Where Asiana Airlines Flies

Asiana Airlines flies to cities on four different continents. Its network in Asia includes important cities in China, Japan, Southeast Asia, and Central Asia. The airline also flies to several major cities in North America and Europe. It has some flights to Oceania as well. Asiana Cargo, which handles freight, also has a large network, especially in Europe, Asia, and the United States.

Asiana started Air Seoul in November 2016. This is Asiana's second low-cost airline. It is based at Incheon International Airport. Asiana moved some of its less profitable routes to Air Seoul.

Airlines Asiana Works With

Asiana Airlines works with many other airlines. This is called a codeshare agreement. It means you can buy a ticket from Asiana, but fly on a plane operated by one of these partner airlines.

Asiana Airlines Planes

Current Fleet

As of May 2024^[update], Asiana Airlines uses these types of planes:

Gallery

• Asiana Airlines current fleet
• 

  Airbus A321-200

• 

  Airbus A321neo

• 

  Airbus A330-300

• 

  Airbus A350-900

• 

  Airbus A380-800

• 

  Boeing 767-300

• 

  Boeing 777-200ER

Retired Fleet

Asiana Airlines has used these planes in the past:

Services on Asiana Airlines

Cabin Classes

Economy class cabin on an Airbus A380-800 upper deck

The Asiana Lounge Central at Incheon International Airport

Asiana Airlines offers different types of seating. These are First Suite Class, First Class, Business Smartium class, Business class, and Travel (economy) class. The seats and entertainment systems can be different depending on the plane and the route.

First Suite class is on the A380-800 planes. These planes fly to places like Los Angeles, New York City, Sydney, and Frankfurt. Old First Class is on Boeing 747-400s. Passengers in these top classes get pajamas, gifts, and amenity kits. These kits have things like skin creams, toothpaste, and eye masks. You can also order your meal up to 48 hours before your flight. First-class seats have personal entertainment systems.

Most of Asiana's international flights have two classes: Business Smartium or Business class, and Travel (economy) class. Some shorter international flights and charter flights have only one class. All domestic flights also have only one class. Business Smartium Class is on Boeing 777-200ER planes. Business Class is on Boeing 767 and A330 planes. Many Travel class seats also have TV or video systems. Entertainment systems are not on domestic flights, which are usually less than an hour long.

Magazines on Board

Asiana offers two magazines on its flights. One is Asiana, which is a travel magazine. The other is Asiana Entertainment.

Frequent Flyer Program

Asiana Club is the airline's program for frequent flyers. It used to be called Asiana Bonus Club. The Asiana Club has five levels: Silver, Gold, Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Platinum. To reach or keep a level, members need to earn a certain number of miles. You can earn miles by flying with Asiana Airlines or other Star Alliance airlines. You can also earn miles by flying with partner airlines like Qatar Airways. The miles you earn can be used for free tickets, seat upgrades, and other services.

Partnerships

You can collect Asiana Club Miles on all flights with Star Alliance airlines. You can also collect miles on flights with Air Astana, Etihad Airways, and Qatar Airways.

Asiana Airlines Marketing

Asiana has worked with famous people and groups to promote their airline:

• Park Ji-Sung – a famous soccer player
• K. J. Choi – a professional golfer
• Yang Yong-eun – a professional golfer
• Chan-Ho Park – a former baseball pitcher
• YG Entertainment – a music company
• JYP Entertainment – a music company
• KBS Symphony Orchestra
• Korea National Ballet

Flight Incidents

• On July 26, 1993, Asiana Airlines Flight 733, a Boeing 737-500, crashed near Mokpo in bad weather. This happened during its third try to land. Sadly, 66 passengers and 2 crew members passed away.
• On November 11, 1998, an Asiana Airlines Boeing 747-400 was turning at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. Its wing hit the tail of another plane. No one was hurt.
• On July 28, 2011, Asiana Airlines Flight 991, a cargo plane, crashed into the Pacific Ocean. This happened near Jeju Island after the pilots reported a fire in the cargo area. Both pilots passed away.
• On July 6, 2013, Asiana Airlines Flight 214, a Boeing 777-200ER, crashed while landing at San Francisco International Airport. This was due to pilot error. Three passengers passed away.
• On April 14, 2015, Asiana Airlines Flight 162, an Airbus A320, crash-landed at Hiroshima Airport in Japan. The plane spun around and stopped on the runway. Its wing was broken, and the left engine was damaged. More than 20 people were injured.
• On April 9, 2019, Asiana Airlines Flight 8703, an Airbus A320-232, had its nose wheel turn sideways when landing at Gwangju Airport. The tires were badly damaged.
• On May 26, 2023, a passenger opened an emergency exit on Asiana Airlines Flight 8124. This happened as the plane was landing at Daegu International Airport. The emergency slide came out and tore off. The plane landed safely, but at least six people were injured. The passenger who opened the door was arrested.

See also

In Spanish: Asiana Airlines para niños

• Transport in South Korea
• List of companies of South Korea
• List of airlines of South Korea
• List of airports in South Korea
• List of Asian airline holding companies