Air Premia Expands with New Nonstop Flights from Seoul to San Francisco Announced

South Korea’s Air Premia is set to expand its international footprint with the launch of nonstop flights between Seoul and San Francisco, marking a significant addition to its growing North American network. Scheduled to commence during the northern summer season, Air Premia will join the ranks of Asiana Airlines, Korean Air, and United Airlines in connecting these two major cities.

Starting May 17, the carrier plans to operate the Seoul Incheon International Airport to San Francisco International Airport route four times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Air Premia intends to utilize its Boeing 787-9 aircraft for these flights, adding a competitive edge to the 5,642-mile route.

Since its inception during the COVID crisis in 2021, Air Premia has evolved from domestic and dedicated belly cargo flights to a network encompassing seven international destinations. Currently, the airline operates six weekly flights to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and four roundtrips each to both Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).

The Seoul to Honolulu route, which began on December 31, is set to continue until March 4. In line with the San Francisco route launch, Air Premia is also planning to increase its LAX service to a daily frequency from May 16.

This expansion will significantly boost Air Premia’s weekly two-way seat capacity between South Korea and the U.S. By late May, the airline expects to offer approximately 9,270 seats per week, a notable increase from the 6,180 seats available a year earlier, according to data from OAG Schedules Analyser.

Air Premia’s current fleet, as per the CAPA Fleet Database, comprises four active Boeing 787-9s and one in storage. Ryan Park, the airline’s strategy planning manager, shared at Routes World 2023 in October that Air Premia aims to grow its fleet to 10 aircraft by 2025 and 15 by 2027.

Targeting small business, VFR (Visiting Friends and Relatives), and millennial travelers, Air Premia operates its 309-seat 787s in a two-class configuration, featuring 56 premium economy and 253 economy seats, aligning with the airline’s hybrid carrier model.