Korean Air Lines Co. is revamping the cabin layout of its flagship long-haul aircraft to boost profitability, adding premium economy seats and switching its standard economy seating configuration from 3-3-3 to 3-4-3. The change will increase the total seat count but reduce the seat width in economy class by about 1 inch (2.5 centimeters).

The airline on Tuesday announced a full cabin renovation for 11 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, including the introduction of premium economy seats, upgraded interiors, new in-flight entertainment systems, and paid in-flight Wi-Fi.

The retrofit, which began in 2018, involves a total investment of about 300 billion won ($216.2 million). The first upgraded aircraft is scheduled to begin service on mid- and short-haul routes by mid-September.

The newly introduced premium economy class will bridge the gap between business and economy. It will be priced about 10 percent higher than standard economy and offer 39–41 inches of seat pitch, 19.5 inches of seat width, and a 15.6-inch 4K monitor, providing 1.5 times more space compared to economy seats.

Under the new configuration, first-class seats will be eliminated. Instead, the aircraft will feature 40 business-class (Prestige) seats, 40 premium economy seats, and 248 economy (New Economy) seats, for a total of 328—37 more than the previous layout.

To accommodate the increased capacity, the economy seating arrangement will switch to 3-4-3, reducing seat width from 18.1 inches to 17.1 inches. Seat pitch in economy will remain unchanged at 33–34 inches.

Korean Air emphasized that the slimmer seat design enhances the actual sense of space for passengers and minimizes interference with the passenger seated behind when reclining. Each seat will also feature a large 13.3-inch 4K touch screen and optional paid Wi-Fi for added convenience.

According to the airline, 18 of the world’s 25 major carriers—including Lufthansa and Air France—have already adopted the 3-4-3 configuration. Korean Air noted that over 70 percent of global carriers operating the same aircraft model use this layout, making it close to the international standard.

The Korea Fair Trade Commission said it will monitor the impact of these changes on consumers.

[ⓒ 매일경제 & mk.co.kr, 무단 전재, 재배포 및 AI학습 이용 금지]