Air Premia Eyes Washington-Dulles Service for 2026

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

Air Premia will launch flights from Seoul to Washington-Dulles commencing on March 30, 2026, according to local Korean media. The 6,958-mile flight will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays on the airline's Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

What 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 with35 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's 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. 

In a statement, Air Premia confirmed that Washington D.C. was a potential candidate for service, but failed to confirm that service would start next March. "We are currently reviewing and negotiating several North American routes internally. While Washington, D.C. is among the candidates, no final decision has been made yet."

Seattle Ambitions on Hold

In a press release from late 2024, Air Premia announced that it would launch flights to Seattle as its fifth destination in the United States. 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.

This route expansion 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 antitrust agreement reached during the merger between Asiana Airlines and Korean Air.