17th Anniversary Celebration
Introduction of B737 Cargo Aircraft in the First Half of the Year
[Asia Economy Reporter Dongwoo Lee] Kim I-bae, CEO of Jeju Air, said on the 25th, marking the 17th anniversary of the company's founding, "Next year, we will introduce the B737-MAX model to achieve a higher level of competitiveness and gain an advantage in medium-distance routes."
CEO Kim made these remarks at the anniversary ceremony held on the 24th in a virtual space using the metaverse, saying, "Let's prepare to leap forward and move vigorously into the world."
To realize this year's strategic keyword for Jeju Air, ‘Bidojinse (備跳進世)’, CEO Kim urged two things: ▲ efficient use of resources and organization ▲ seizing opportunities and continuous challenges.
CEO Kim emphasized, "We must create 'one organization' through efficient collaboration of limited human and material resources," and added, "We need to practice ‘One Team One Dream’ based on Jeju Air's definite strength of diversity."
In preparation for the integration of the two major full-service carriers, Jeju Air is strengthening its medium-distance routes. CEO Kim stressed, "At a time when the restructuring of Korea's aviation industry is being discussed, let's analyze the situation with a long-term perspective and prepare flexibly," adding, "We will strengthen the cargo business by introducing B737 freighters in the first half of this year, and next year, we will introduce the B737-MAX model to achieve a higher level of competitiveness and gain an advantage in medium-distance routes."
Taking the introduction of cargo-only aircraft as an opportunity, Jeju Air plans to expand its cargo transportation business to diversify its revenue structure, while focusing on enhancing the competitiveness of its current business model in line with the recent industry trend of introducing large aircraft and launching long-distance routes.
CEO Kim also expressed interest in the government’s future project, the ‘Urban Air Mobility (UAM) business.’ He said, "We are conducting discussions with the industry and others to play a leading role in the UAM industrial ecosystem, and we expect to achieve visible results within the first half of this year."
Finally, he added, "Let us recall our dynamic past to restore our self-esteem and confidence," and expressed gratitude to the employees for their hard work over the past year.
Meanwhile, Jeju Air’s 17th anniversary event was held as a non-face-to-face event using the metaverse under the theme of ‘Encouragement, Gratitude, and Confidence Recovery.’ The Jeju Air metaverse zone was designed to allow viewers to watch desired videos, including the CEO’s commemorative speech, awards ceremony for outstanding employees, and videos of Jeju Air’s milestones and employee performances.
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