Samsung's new Galaxy S4 smartphone will boost freight sales for Korean Air
Samsung may ship about 44 million of the smartphones in the second and third quarters, according to Young Park, an analyst at Woori Investment & Securities in Seoul. A Boeing 747-8 freighter plane carrying nothing else can hold about one million phones.
The introduction of Samsung's Galaxy S4 smartphone has one clear winner - Korean Air.
Moving high-value goods such as a smartphone by air quickly to various markets is important for Samsung to capture market share when the product has maximum demand.
The introduction is likely to reverse a two-year decline in freight sales at the Seoul-based carrier, the world's second-biggest international cargo airline.
"The Galaxy can provide Korean Air with the relief it needs during these difficult times," according to Joo Hae-mee, an analyst at LIG Investment & Securities with a buy rating on the airline.
"While the introduction of one product isn't enough to make a full recovery, given the dire situation of the cargo industry worldwide, this is positive."