Korean Air Lines Co., South Korea's top flag carrier, said Wednesday it will put Boeing's next-generation passenger jet into service starting in September, becoming the country's first air carrier to fly the latest model.

The B747-8 Intercontinental wide-body jetliner, the largest commercial aircraft among all Boeing models, was delivered to Korean Air on Tuesday. Three more aircraft will be added to its fleet within this year, with six more to be delivered by 2017, the airline said.

The B747-8 Intercontinental, a variant of the 747-8 first introduced in 2011, is currently the longest passenger jet in the world. The aircraft consumes about 16 percent less fuel than other planes of the same class.

The new airplanes to be added by December this year will be used on Korean Air's international routes from Incheon to Frankfurt, Singapore, San Francisco and Hong Kong. (Yonhap)