Korean Air Restarts Service To Saudi Arabia

Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, October 13, 2012: Kanoo Travel, the largest travel management company in the Middle East, today announced that Korean Air is expanding its network to the Middle East with a direct flight service between Korea and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on 9 November 2012. Korean Air will commence the direct service three times a week, flying from Seoul/Incheon first to Riyadh and then onto Jeddah. The Seoul/Incheon-Riyadh-Jeddah flights will operate on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

“Kanoo Travel is pleased to welcome Korean Air back into the Kingdom. Our association with the airline began in 2008, when Kanoo Travel was signed as the GSA for Saudi Arabia. Korean Air’s new Seoul/Incheon-Riyadh and Jeddah service, will attract business travelers visiting Saudi Arabia and will develop the market, which has a great potential for growth. The service will also be of interest to transit passengers from neighboring countries to Korea, including Japan and China, who will travel to Saudia Arabia via Korean Air’s hub in Seoul, the award winning Incheon International Airport,” says Mr. Nabeel Kanoo, Director, Kanoo Travel.

Korean Air’s flight - KE961 departs at 21:55 and will arrive in Riyadh at 03:10 the next day. The flight continues its journey departing from Riyadh at 04:20, arriving Jeddah at 06:15. On the return flight - KE962 departs from Jeddah at 11:00 and arrives in Riyadh at 12:35. The flight departs from Riyadh at 13:55 and arrives Seoul/Incheon at 05:00 next day.

The Seoul/Incheon – Riyadh – Jeddah route will be operated with an Airbus 330-200, seating 218 passengers and equipped with Korean Air’s premium seats. First Class has 6 Kosmo suites; the 180-degree full-flat beds have been widened by 15cm (6 inch) to 67.3 cm (26.5 inch) to provide passengers with added comfort. The Business Class, called Prestige Class, has 24 full-flat sleepers with 188cm (74 inches) between seats and extra large seat partitions offering comfort and privacy. Passengers in all classes can enjoy the new AVOD system that offers upgraded in-flight entertainment in high resolution and with top processing speed.

Working in partnership with Saudi Arabian Airlines, which is a new member of the airline alliance SkyTeam, of which Korean Air is also a member, will enable Korean Air to expand its network across the Middle East region and also serve as a catalyst to expand exchange between Saudi Arabia and Korea.

Kanoo Travel, which is the airline’s GSA (General Sales Agent) for Saudi Arabia, will aggressively promote Korea as a preferred destination with attractive packages for both business and leisure travelers. The company held seminars in partnership with Korean Tourism Organisation for the travel trade on November 8th, 2012 at the Sofitel in Alkhobar and on November 9th, 2012 at Le Meridien in Jeddah. Kanoo Travel highlighted the opportunities for leisure travel for expatriates and Saudi families alike and the huge potential for business between Saudi Arabia and Korea.

Korean Air is a leading international airline, headquartered in Seoul, flying to 122 destinations in 42 countries. Its advanced management systems and innovative customer services have enabled the airline to achieve remarkable performances. From 2004 to 2009, the airline was also the world’s largest commercial air cargo operator for six consecutive years.

With a fleet of 148 modern airplanes and more than 15,000 professional employees, Korean Air provides customers with the ultimate in safety, convenience and comfort. Keeping with its vision “To Be a Respected Leader in the World Airline Community,” Korean Air is firmly committed to providing a service that exceeds expectations with a product that customers can value, trust and a corporate culture tthat encourages innovation.

About Korean Air

Korean Air, with a fleet of 148 aircraft, is one of the world's top 20 airlines, and operates more than 400 flights per day to 122 cities in 42 countries. It is a founding member of the SkyTeam alliance, which together with its 18 members, offers its 506 million annual passengers a worldwide system of more than 15,000 daily flights covering 993 destinations in 186 countries.

In 2011, Business Traveler named Korean Air the best Asian airline for the fifth consecutive year, while Global Traveler awarded the airline with best airline in northern Asia and best airport staff/gate agent. The carrier won the 2010 global travel catering distinction award by Pax International magazine while World Traveler magazine rated it as having the world’s best inflight service. Travel & Leisure magazine readers say it is one of the world’s top 10 international airlines and readers of Conde Nast Traveler magazine voted Korean Air one of the world’s top ten global airlines.

About Kanoo Travel:
The Kanoo family's involvement in air travel goes back to 1937 when the company provided refueling facilities in Bahrain for Imperial Airways seaplanes on route to India and Australia. In 1947 Kanoo Travel became the first IATA agency in the Gulf and in 1997 they became the very first Travel Company in the Middle East to receive the ISO certification.
Today, Kanoo Travel is the largest travel company in the Middle East, with a team of travel specialists operating a network of over 170 offices in the region and through a global network of world-class travel partners. Kanoo Travel provides the most comprehensive and specialised services in the travel industry with unmatched quality awards and achievements that guarantees the highest level of customer satisfaction.
Kanoo Travel provides its services in five main specialised areas:
• Kanoo Corporate - Business Travel Services
• Kanoo Retail- Travel Services for the individual travelers
• Kanoo Holidays - For all type Leisure Travel
• Kanoo Marine - Marine and Offshore Travel Services
• GSA's- General Sales Agents for international airlines

Kanoo Travel
Kanoo Building
Khalid Bin Walid Street
Bur Dubai, Dubai
UAE

This release was published on openPR.