Private Jet Also Used by Lee Jae-yong: Korean Air Begins Test Flights of Latest Business Jet

According to Financial News, Korean Air has begun test flights of a newly introduced next-generation ultra-long-range business jet, moving to expand its private jet business. As demand for private jets among VIP clients from major conglomerates, including Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, continues to grow, attention is focusing on when the latest jet will officially enter service.
According to the aviation industry on the 12th, Korean Air recently introduced the ultra-long-range business jet Gulfstream G800 manufactured by Gulfstream Aerospace in the United States. The Gulfstream G800 is a long-range private jet that can carry up to 13 passengers. It is a next-generation model with a longer range than the existing Gulfstream G650ER.
On this day, the Gulfstream G800 aircraft conducted a test flight from Gimpo Airport to Jeongseok Airport on Jeju Island. It came just one week after the jet arrived in Korea on the 5th. The test flight reportedly included demonstration operations, checks related to changes in safety procedures, and various pilot training exercises.
Private jets are an air service used by conglomerate heads or chief executive officers for overseas business trips or long-distance travel. With the introduction of the Gulfstream G800, Korean Air now operates a total of five private jets. The airline had already been operating the Boeing Business Jet 787-8 (BBJ 787-8), BBJ 737-700, Gulfstream G650ER, and Bombardier Global Express XRS.
Among these, the BBJ 787-8 is a large private jet with about 39 seats and has mainly been used for long-distance travel by corporate chiefs. In business circles, it is widely understood that Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong uses Korean Air’s private jets for his overseas trips.

The Gulfstream G800 developed by Gulfstream Aerospace has a top speed of Mach 0.9, a fuselage length of about 30 meters, and a maximum range of 14,816 kilometers, enabling nonstop flights from Seoul to Los Angeles (LA), London, or Sydney.
Korean Air, currently the only Korean carrier running a private jet business, operates a membership program for its private jet customers. By paying an annual fee of about 700 million won, members receive 30 hours of private jet usage over one year.
If they exceed the allotted time, they can continue to use the service at around 4.8 million won per hour for international routes and about 2.9 million won per hour for domestic routes. Without membership, a one-off charter flight is known to cost around 40 million won per hour.
Samsung Group previously owned its own private jets but sold them all to Korean Air and now charters Korean Air’s private jets as needed. SK Group and Hyundai Motor Group each own two private jets, while LG Group and Hanwha Group operate one each.
y27k@fnnews.com Reporter Seo Yoon-kyung Reporter