Door-mode procedure unified under Korean Air standard from Tuesday

In-flight announcements also brought in line ahead of December merger

Korean Air and Asiana Airlines cabin crew pose for a photo. (Park Beom-jun)
Korean Air and Asiana Airlines cabin crew pose for a photo. (Park Beom-jun)

"Cabin crew, door side standby please. Change slide mode to the armed." (cabin purser) "Number One Clear." "Number Two Clear." (door-assigned crew members)

Asiana Airlines is retiring its audible door-mode change announcement starting Tuesday. The procedure — a check to confirm aircraft doors are properly prepared before takeoff and after landing — had been broadcast over the cabin public address system, unlike the practice at Korean Air.

With the launch of the unified Korean Air set for December, the two carriers are consolidating their in-flight announcements and streamlining passenger services.

According to Asiana, flights operating from Tuesday will no longer broadcast the door-mode change procedure over the cabin PA. Door mode refers to the procedure of switching the mechanism that deploys emergency evacuation slides the moment a door is opened. After completing departure preparations, crews must arm the doors so that slides deploy immediately in an emergency; after landing, the doors must be disarmed.

Asiana had conducted this process audibly for all passengers. The cabin purser would announce the door-mode change over the PA, and each door-assigned crew member would confirm the status by responding aloud — "Number One Clear," "Number Two Clear" and so on — so that passengers could hear.

A Korean Air aircraft and an Asiana Airlines aircraft parked at Gimpo Airport in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. [Yonhap]
A Korean Air aircraft and an Asiana Airlines aircraft parked at Gimpo Airport in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. [Yonhap]

Korean Air, by contrast, broadcasts only the purser's instruction over the PA; crew members' responses are relayed via interphone and are not audible to passengers. The audible crew responses had long been regarded as a distinctive feature of Asiana.

Starting Tuesday, Asiana's door-mode change procedure is being unified with the Korean Air method. The cabin purser will give the more concise instruction "Cabin crew, door side standby. Arm doors and cross-check," after which each crew member will adjust the door mode and respond via interphone.

In addition, Asiana's in-flight announcements have been consolidated under the Korean Air standard since January. Announcements made over the cabin PA cover departure preparation, boarding welcome, seat-belt release and safety information, duty-free sales, and arrival at the destination.

"As the integrated door-operation procedure takes effect, the announcement wording has been changed to the Korean Air standard to ensure uniform safety procedures are carried out," an Asiana Airlines official said.

An Asiana Airlines A321neo. [Provided by Asiana Airlines]
An Asiana Airlines A321neo. [Provided by Asiana Airlines]

The service unification is part of preparations for the launch of the combined Korean Air. Asiana has been progressively offering the same menus and service items as Korean Air on a route-by-route basis since last year. The seat-numbering system has also been aligned with the Korean Air standard.

The combined carrier is set to officially launch on Dec. 17, following more than five years of merger review proceedings that began when Hanjin KAL decided to acquire Asiana in 2020. The Asiana brand, with a 38-year history, will cease to exist from that date. The merger will expand Korean Air to a fleet of more than 230 aircraft and an annual passenger capacity of about 43 million.

On March 17 next year, Jin Air, Air Busan and Air Seoul will merge to form a unified Jin Air. The three carriers plan to combine their operational capabilities and resources to expand customer benefits and strengthen their flight network.

"After watching the Korean Air-Asiana integration, the unified Jin Air is also expected to standardize its services and operations in turn," an industry official said. "With competition among domestic carriers reaching saturation, the industry restructuring is expected to further strengthen the competitiveness of both groups."


eyre@heraldcorp.com