Mile-high bar: Korean cocktails

SKY SHOP: In an airline first, Korean Air has put a duty free shop at the back of the A380.

Korean Air, the latest airline to receive the world's largest passenger aircraft, the Airbus A380, has unveiled its interiors - and it is another case of using the plane's huge space to make things extremely comfortable in first class.

Following the precedent set by Emirates, Korean Air has opted to install a spacious, social cocktail bar at the front of the superjumbo for its first class passengers.

And, in an airline first, Korean Air has also put a duty free shop at the back of the plane, where passengers can browse actual items rather than be restricted to leafing through a brochure.

Korean Air claims to have the most spacious fit-out of any airline flying the double-decker A380, with a total of just 407 seats. This compares with Qantas's 450 seats, Emirates 517 seats and Air France's 538 seats.

The Korean Air A380 features 12 first class and 301 economy class seats on the first deck. The upper deck is all 'prestige' (business) class with 94 seats.

The airline took possession of its first A380 at the start of June, with its first flights, from Incheon in South Korea to Hong Kong via Tokyo, taking off later that month.

The airline intends to add the A380 to routes to New York and Los Angeles later this year.

Korean Air has ordered a total of ten A380s, with the first five to be delivered by the end of 2011 and the remainder by 2014.

Since making its debut with Singapore Airlines in 2007, the A380 has been used by some airlines to showcase new innovations in their premium class cabins. Singapore Airlines first class on the superjumbo features private cabins – including seats that convert to double beds for couples travelling together. Emirates offers first class passengers a bar and lounge for socialising and a bathroom with a shower.

Emirates is the largest customer for the A380, with 90 superjumbos ordered and 15 delivered thus far.

Currently total orders for the Airbus A380 stand at 236 from 18 customers, with 51 aircraft delivered so far to six customers.

South Korea's second biggest carrier Asiana Airlines announced in January that it would buy six A380s for routes to Europe and the United States.

- © Fairfax NZ News