Airlines fiercely compete to acquire additional aircraft
Asiana Airlines A350-900 / Courtesy of Asiana AirlinesBy Kim Hyun-binAirlines are embroiled in fierce competition to acquire more aircraft as the pandemic subsides and international passenger demand surges. The global increase in passengers has resulted in a shortage of aircraft available for lease, with manufacturers steeply raising lease rates. Therefore, concerns are rising for airlines over the significant cost burden associated with introducing new aircraft.According to sources in the aviation industry, domestic airlines in Korea are expected to introduce a total of 13 additional new passenger aircraft this year ― Asiana Airlines and Jeju Air with four aircraft each, followed by Korean Air and Jin Air with two aircraft. T'way Air plans to add one more aircraft to its fleet. The aviation industry is responding to the recent rapid increase in international passenger demand, which declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, by actively pursuing the acquisition of new aircraft. In April, the number of passengers on the Incheon-Narita (Tokyo) route increased by over 40,000 from April 2019
