Airlines

Korean Air to Stop Providing Hot Shin Ramyun Cup Noodles on Flights

Starting August 15, South Korea’s flag carrier, Korean Air, will discontinue its popular practice of serving instant ramen on request during long-haul economy flights to the Americas, Europe, Oceania, and the Middle East.

This decision, announced on the airline’s website on Thursday, marks a significant change in its in-flight snack offerings.

Renewed In-Flight Snack Service

In place of the beloved cup noodles, Korean Air will “renew its in-flight snack service” by offering a variety of alternative snacks such as sandwiches, corn dogs, and hot pockets. This change, however, will not affect business and first-class passengers, who will continue to enjoy their noodle service.

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Korean Air’s decision to eliminate the cup noodle service in economy class is primarily driven by safety concerns. The airline aims to prevent burn injuries caused by hot water.

In economy class, flight attendants frequently have to carry multiple cups of noodles with hot water simultaneously to serve passengers seated within the same area. This practice poses a significant risk, especially given the increasing incidents of extreme turbulence.

Turbulence and Safety Measures

The airline’s move comes in the context of a broader industry focus on turbulence management. Korean Air is one of 21 airlines that have joined a turbulence real-time data exchange platform launched by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in 2020. This platform aims to improve the detection and management of turbulence, enhancing passenger safety and comfort.

Implications for Economy Class Passengers

For economy class passengers, the end of the hot cup noodle service might be disappointing, given its popularity. However, the introduction of a variety of new snacks aims to compensate for this change. The new snack options are designed to be more practical and safer to serve, reducing the risk of accidents during flights.

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Airlines

US DOT Approves Merger: Alaska Airlines & Hawaiian Airlines Finalize Deal

In a significant development for the aviation industry, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued an order granting an exemption for the transfer of international route authorities in the merger of Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines.

The merger, which is expected to be completed in the coming days, represents a major consolidation in the airline sector. Under the terms of the exemption, Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines are required to adhere to several key public-interest protections.

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These stipulations are aimed at preserving service quality and consumer benefits as the merger progresses. Specifically, the airlines must protect the value of rewards, maintain existing service levels on crucial Hawaiian routes to the continental U.S. and inter-island routes, and support rural services.

Additionally, they are required to ensure competitive access at the Honolulu hub airport, offer fee-free family seating, provide alternative compensation for controllable disruptions, and lower costs for military families.

This proactive approach by the DOT marks a new phase in the Department’s merger review process. For the first time, airlines are required to agree to binding, enforceable public-interest protections as a condition for closing their merger.

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This move highlights the DOT’s commitment to safeguarding public interests and ensuring that mergers do not undermine service quality or competition. As part of the merger agreement, Alaska Airlines will assume approximately $900 million in Hawaiian Airlines’ debt.

Despite this substantial financial responsibility, Alaska plans to retain Hawaiian as a separate brand, which will negate the need for repainting aircraft. To secure approval from the DOT, the airlines agreed to maintain current service levels on key routes where competition is limited.

The exemption granted by the DOT allows Alaska and Hawaiian to finalize their merger while remaining separate and independently operated until the Department completes its review of the transfer application. If the transfer is approved, the public-interest protections will remain in effect for six years.