Yeongnam Air Set to Take Off July 25

22Jul08

Yeongnam Air Goes Live July 25

Yeongnam Air, one of Korea’s newest low-cost airline startups, is set to take to the skies July 25, just over a week after JinAir, Korean Air’s low-cost unit, began air service. Yeongnam Air will operate with one Fokker 100 jet plane and will fly between Gimpo International Airport in Seoul and Jeju International Airport on Jeju Island. Additional routes will include Seoul (Gimpo) – Busan (Gimhae), Busan – Jeju, and the Daegu – Jeju routes. Yeongname Air is expected to take delivery of its second Fokker 100 in August followed by its third aircraft not long after.

Compared to the recently launched JinAir, Yeongnam Air has taken a more conservative take on its Brand Identity (BI) going with a two-toned blue motif. The font is a bold italics sans-serif logotype in blue applied on a white background.

Yeongnam Air CI

Similarly, the airline’s uniforms are inline with the standards for cabin crew uniforms and do nothing to offer the consumer a new or differentiated experience. As the low-cost airline market heats up in Korea, airlines that fail to offer a substantial difference in price or in onboard experience are in my opinion going to have a hard time staying afloat. JinAir and Jeju Air seem to be paving the way with their fresh and young brand image – a stark contrast to the traditional and classic appeal of the traditional carriers in Korea.

Yeongnam Air Uniforms

So far flights can only be booked online in Korean, but for a look around the site see here. Check back for coverage of Yeongnam Air’s success as well as for more information on the hot low-cost airline market here in Korea.