Air Premia, Inc. (Korean: 에어프레미아㈜; RR: eeo peuremia jusik hoesa) is a South Korean airline based in Seoul. It describes itself as a "hybrid airline", providing a higher level of service than low-cost airlines while having lower operating costs than larger, full-service airlines. The airline was founded in 2017 by the former president of Jeju Air, Kim Jong-chul.[2]
History
Air Premia was established on July 27, 2017, by the ex-president of Jeju Air, Kim Jong-chul.[2] In April 2019, the airline intended to launch in 2020 and lease three Boeing 787-9s from Air Lease Corporation (ALC),[3] but later announced that it had agreed to purchase five.[4] The airline was initially expected to launch with regional routes within Asia, but later intended to operate long-haul routes to Australia and the United States.[citation needed]
In April 2021, Air Premia received its first Boeing 787-9, with plans to operate 10 aircraft by the end of 2024.[5][6] On August 11, 2021, the airline celebrated its inauguration of flights with a domestic service between Seoul and Jeju.[7] Domestic services ended on October 30, 2021, as the airline prepared to transition to exclusively operating international routes.[8] These consisted of a mix of scheduled, chartered, passenger, and dedicated cargo services to destinations in Asia, Europe, and North America.
Destinations
As of October 2024[update], Air Premia operates or has operated to the following destinations:
Air Premia's initial fleet was planned to consist of three Boeing 787-9s, but this was later increased to five.[3][4] In early 2024, Air Premia planned to increase its fleet with an additional four 787-9s to be leased from Korean Air starting later in 2024, as part of addressing competition concerns with Korean Air's proposed merger with Asiana Airlines.[36]
Service concept
Air Premia operates two cabins and classes of service on its aircraft, consisting of a premium economy cabin (branded as Premia 42) consisting of 56 seats in a 2–3–2 layout, and an economy class cabin (branded as Economy 35) consisting of seats in a 3–3–3 layout, with the numbers in the branding reflecting their respective seat pitch in inches.[37] In contrast to low-cost carriers, Air Premia includes various services complimentary rather than imposing additional fees for them, such as baggage allowances, in-flight catering, and in-flight entertainment. However, the airline still provides some buy on board services, such as for duty-free sales and Wi-Fi access.
^Jang, Yong-seok (March 24, 2023). "에어프레미아, 팬데믹 이후 최초 5월 노르웨이 직항로 취항" [Air Premia, launches direct route to Norway in May for the first time since pandemic]. Global Economic (in Korean).
