South Korea’s flag carrier Korean Air said Tuesday that it has celebrated its 50th anniversary of operating American routes, stressing its role of bridging the countries both physically and culturally.

A Korean Air Boeing 707 was the first aircraft operated by a Korean airliner to fly across the Pacific on April 19, 1972. It then made stops in Tokyo and Honolulu before landing in Los Angeles, officials recalled.

The airline had two destinations in the US — LA and Honolulu — but has since expanded to operate 13 passenger and cargo routes. Three million passengers were transported on these routes in 2019, right before the pandemic, a figure 69 times greater than the 438,000 transported in 1972, according to the company.

It believes to have created over $110 million per year of added value in related industries, and 100,000 new jobs in the United States for last 50 years, officials said.

Passengers visiting the US via Korean Air flights are estimated to have spent about a combined $400 million per year in the US. The company also believes to have contributed in generating economic impact worth $17 billion in the US each year. It also became the first Korean airline in 2018 to launch a transpacific joint venture with Delta Air Lines, officials added.

LA mayor Eric Garcetti presented a mayoral proclamation to Korean Airlines on Tuesday to express gratitude for the airline’s service over the past 50 years.

By Lee Seung-ku (seungku99@heraldcorp.com)