Korean Air celebrates 30 years of service to San Francisco International Airport

Korean Air celebrated its 30th anniversary of flight service to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) on October 29, 2024.

To mark the milestone, the South Korean flag carrier held a commemorative flight, KE 024 which flew from Seoul Incheon Airport (ICN) to San Francisco. The 30th passenger to board the flight was given a complimentary economy Seoul to San Francisco return flight ticket.

In addition, all passengers on the flight received special anniversary gifts, including a tote bag designed by the Korean Association of New York Artists (KANA) and a selection of chocolates from San Francisco heritage chocolate Ghirardelli.

Korean Air also hosted a special dinner event in downtown San Francisco on October 30, 2024, where representatives from Korean Air, the Korean Consulate, industry partners, key travel agencies, and media attended.

“On this significant occasion, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to our customers for their unwavering support over the past 30 years and for choosing Korean Air for their travels,” Jin Ho Lee, Senior Vice President and Head of Americas Regional Headquarters at Korean Air said in a statement. 

Lee continued: “We are excited to continue connecting Korea and San Francisco and providing our customers with exceptional services in the years to come.”

Korean Air first launched its San Francisco flight service on October 29, 1994, establishing a regular passenger route from Gimpo Airport to San Francisco International Airport. 

Since the inaugural flight, the airline has maintained a schedule of at least seven flights per week, significantly enhancing connections and economic exchange between Korea and the US West Coast, particularly in the IT and semiconductor sectors by improving access to Silicon Valley.

In 2023, around 176,000 passengers traveled on the San Francisco route, making it Korean Air’s second most popular route in the US West Coast, following Los Angeles. 

Korean Air operates widebody aircraft, such as the Boeing 777, to ensure passengers comfort on this route. 

According to data from the Korean American Community Foundation, Korean Americans are the fifth-largest Asian American ethnic group in the US, with a population of over 1.7 million and more than 500,000 in California alone. 

In the San Francisco Bay Area, Korean Americans are the sixth-largest Asian population with approximately 90,000 residents.

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