Asiana Airlines will deploy its first Airbus A350-900 on flights from Seoul Incheon to Osaka and Manila from 15 May.

The airline says that the A350-900 will fly daily to Osaka, and six-times weekly to Manila, before being deployed on flights to San Francisco and London during the second half of the year.

The aircraft, which will carry 311 passengers, will also launch Asiana’s new premium economy product, branded as ‘Economy Smartium’.

It says that the 36-seat cabin will offer an additional 3-4in of legroom and priority boarding. On long-haul services, passengers travelling in the new class will also gain access to the Asiana business lounge at Incheon International airport, and in-flight amenities.

Flight Fleets Analyzer shows that Asiana has 12 A350-900s on order, with the first due for delivery in April. It also has orders for eight of the smaller -800 variant, for which it is the sole remaining customer.

Source: Cirium Dashboard