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Air Incheon to consider widebody freighter orders after Asiana freight purchase

Air Incheon, set to become South Korea's secondbiggest freight provider once a deal to buy Asiana Airlines' cargo unit is settled, will consider both Boeing and Airbus trucks to revitalize the widebody fleet, its CEO said.

The EU competition regulator last month approved Air Incheon, a little cargo-only provider with four Boeing 737s, as the favored bidder to buy Asiana's freight service, as a. condition of approval for it to combine with Korean Air Lines .

The purchase for a concealed amount would move Asiana's. fleet, personnel, clients and traffic rights to Air Incheon, which. is based at Incheon airport, South Korea's primary worldwide. gateway and the world's fifth-busiest freight airport.

Asiana runs 11 Boeing 767 and 747 trucks to 25. cities in 12 countries.

The acquisition will include the rights to fly to major. Chinese export hubs like Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong, and. to the U.S., Air Incheon CEO Stanley Seunghwan Lee informed . in an interview today.

The aim is to grow into an international charter and wet-lease. service provider instead of selling area directly to logistics firms,. he added.

Lee plans to gradually upgrade Asiana's ageing widebody. fleet, a task made complex by a worldwide airplane lack and. postponed U.S. approval for Boeing 777-300ER. passenger-to-freighter conversions.

Air Incheon can operate the present Asiana fleet at least. 5 or seven years, he said.

Lee is talking to lessors and manufacturers about transformed. Boeing 777-300ERs, Boeing 777 factory trucks, or Airplane A350. freighters, which the European planemaker anticipates to enter. service in 2026.

The Asiana Pilot Union (APU) has stated it is unhappy with Air. Incheon as favored bidder, saying it is too little to compete. with Korean Air.

The APU, which likewise opposes Korean Air buying Asiana, said. more than 100 Asiana cargo pilots had, as of Thursday, submitted. letters indicating they will resign if moved.

Lee stated Air Incheon requires the cooperation and experience of. Asiana personnel and will guarantee the same wage and similar. advantages.

Korean Air had obtained a green light from 13 of 14. competitors authorities for the Asiana deal and CEO Walter Cho. has actually stated he anticipates the last U.S. decision by the end of. October.

(source: Reuters)