Air Premia Confirms Washington D.C. as Next American Destination

A South Korean long-haul airline is planning flights from Seoul to Washington D.C. next year. 

Air Premia will launch flights from Seoul to Washington-Dulles commencing on April 24, 2026, according to flight schedules. The 6,958-mile flight will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays on its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. 

The flight will depart from Seoul's Incheon Airport (ICN) at 10:05 A.M. and arrive at 10:50 A.M. in Washington D.C. (IAD).  On the return leg, the flight will depart Washington's Dulles Airport at 1:20 P.M. and arrive in Seoul at 5:45 P.M. the next day. 

Who is Air Premia?

Air Premia is a hybrid-service carrier that focuses primarily on long-haul flights to North America and within Asia. The airline launched its first transpacific flight in 2022 to Los Angeles, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Seoul-based carrier also flies to Honolulu, Newark/New York, and San Francisco within the United States. 

Air Premia will utilize its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on the route. The aircraft features a premium economy cabin and an economy cabin, differing from a traditional full-service carrier. Its Boeing 787-9 is comfortable nonetheless, with 55 premium economy seats in a 2-3-2 configuration with 42 inches of legroom. Its economy cabin showcases 253 economy seats with a remarkable 35 inches of legroom in a 3-3-3 configuration.

Air Premia has in-flight entertainment screens installed on its Boeing 787-9, as well as wifi available. Korean Air offers no wifi on its long-haul flights. Paid meals are available for economy travelers, and flights include a free checked bag and carry-on bag. AeroXplorer talks more about Air Premia's service perks here. 

Air Premia would be the fourth Asian airline for the Washington D.C. region, following the entrance of Air China in 2014. The airline will compete with Korean Air on its Boeing 777-300ER on flights to Seoul. Since Air Premia doesn't offer connections, the airline hopes to capture local and government traffic between the two cities. ANA and United Airlines offer service to Tokyo-Haneda. 

Seattle Ambitions on Hold

In a press release from late 2024, Air Premia announced that it would launch Seattle as its fifth destination. Local Korean media reports that these plans have been postponed. Four airlines currently compete on this route, including Alaska Airlines, Asiana Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Korean Air. 

However, Asiana Airlines and Korean Air are currently in the midst of a merger process. Air Premia hopes to capitalize on this by capturing long-haul and Asia market share from the merger. 

Air Premia was allowed to bid on route authority and slots between Seattle and Seoul-Incheon that Asiana Airlines would forfeit following the merger. Air Premia never bid on this authority, but rival low-cost carriers like Jeju Air, Parata Air, and T-Way did. 

This new route to Washington-Dulles is fueled by the arrival of a ninth Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Four of these aircraft are leased from Korean Air as part of an antimonopoly deal from the Asiana Airlines and Korean Air merger. 

Air Premia posted an operating profit of 40.9 billion South Korean won ($35 million) in 2024.