Korean Air Lines Co. said Monday it will begin charging additional fees on emergency exit row seats when booking international flights next year.

South Korea's biggest carrier said on its website that optional fees will be charged on exit row seats with extra legroom, which are located in the front row of each section of the economy class, starting Jan. 14.

Emergency exit row seats will be limited to passengers that satisfy the official safety requirements, and those who book the seats will be required to follow crews' instructions during emergencies, the airline said.

Additional fees range from 20,000 won to 150,000 won ($18.5-$138) depending on the place of departure.

Seats for handicapped people and pregnant women, as well as passengers with infants, will be available without additional fees, it noted.

Korean Air's price policy change is seen as a way to improve its revenue as airlines are grappling with weak passenger demand amid the pandemic. 

The company swung to an operating loss of 11.74 billion won in the first nine months, and its sales declined 40 percent to 5.7 trillion won, its financial statement showed. (Yonhap)