Korean Air will introduce a new business class suite as part of the 787-10 induction. The first of Korean’s twenty 787-10s on order is expected to be delivered in October 2023. It will enter service on 1 November 2023.
Disclosure of the new seat design came as part of a regulatory filing related to accessibility for the suites. The US Department of Transportation requires 50% of aisle seats to be accessible, typically via a movable armrest. Korean notes in its application that the armrest does not move, but that the seats “are integrated suite designs which cannot incorporate a moveable aisle armrest into their design.”
Instead, the company has provided videos showing both unassisted and assisted transfers between the seat and the on-board wheelchair in a mockup with an aisle width equivalent to that on the Boeing 787-10. It has requested this be considered sufficient for compliance with the regulation.
The same seats will also be installed on the carrier’s 777-300ER fleet as part of a retrofit program. Korean points out that it will use the exact same seat rather than adjust for the wider fuselage. Instead, the aisles in business class will be wider than those on the 787-10.
Exact details on the supplier and model of the seat are redacted. Expect more details to be shared as the company gets closer to delivery of the aircraft and service entry later this year.
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