Korean Air will give New Yorkers a new nonstop option to Seoul
Korean Air is adding a second New York-area gateway.
The SkyTeam Alliance carrier will land at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) with flights from Seoul's Incheon Airport (ICN) in May 2027, Korean Air said on Thursday. The new route to east of the Hudson River complements its long-standing twice-daily service to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).
Korean Air will offer daily flights to EWR from May 22. It will fly a Boeing 777-300ER on the route.
The airline did not say what 777 configuration it will fly to EWR. It flies planes with several layouts, including an older configuration with eight first class suites.
United Airlines launched its first-ever nonstop from EWR to ICN in September. The Star Alliance carrier flies a Boeing 787-9 on the route.
Korean Air's new EWR flight comes at a time of change for the airline as it wraps up a merger with fellow Korean carrier Asiana. Korean will complete the customer-facing integration of Asiana on Dec. 17, a combination that will significantly increase its market share at ICN.
While the merger does not add any new U.S. destinations to Korean Air's map, it does increase its presence at JFK to up to four daily flights including Asiana, schedule data from aviation analytics firm Cirium shows.
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Future schedules show Korean Air continuing to serve JFK with four daily flights through June 2027.
The new EWR flight will complement Korean Air's JFK services and create a new connection with joint venture partner Delta Air Lines. The carriers have expanded their transpacific options in recent years with new routes, including Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) to ICN on Delta.
The partnership allows Delta and Korean Air to coordinate commercial matters, including fares and schedules, between the U.S. and South Korea.
Korean Air highlighted the expanded flight options and New Jersey's pharmaceutical, biotechnology, financial, and logistics industrial clusters for its new EWR route.
EWR is Korean Air's first new U.S. destinations since it added Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) in 2019.