Unified Korean Air to officially begin operation in Dec. 2026
Korean Air and Asiana Airlines on Wednesday approved a long-awaited merger that will pave the way for the launch of a new, integrated Korean Air on December 17.
The agreement comes about five and a half years after Korean Air announced its decision to take over Asiana Airlines. The two airlines said they will sign the official contract on Thursday.
Under the merger terms, Korean Air will comprehensively inherit Asiana Airlines’ assets, liabilities, rights, obligations and workforce. The merger ratio was set at 1 to 0.2736432 for Korean Air and Asiana Airlines shares, respectively. Korean Air’s capital is expected to increase by approximately 101.7 billion won ($68.3 million) following the transaction.
Once the two airlines formally sign the contract Thursday, Korean Air said it would submit a merger application to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The carrier will then apply for operations specifications amendments to standardize Asiana Airlines aircraft and safety systems under Korean Air’s existing air operator certificate in June.
After obtaining domestic approvals, Korean Air plans to proceed with regulatory filings with overseas aviation authorities to align safety management systems and operational protocols.
Asiana Airlines will hold a temporary shareholders’ meeting in August to approve the merger plan, and Korean Air is set to hold a board meeting to approve the agenda on the same day.
Following the merger, Hanjin KAL, which currently owns a 26.13 percent stake in Korean Air as its largest shareholder, will see its stake decline to 24.76 percent. No changes in the shareholder portions are expected.
Korean Air emphasized that the launch of the integrated airline will strengthen the country’s aviation industry, bolster Incheon Airport’s role as a global hub and create synergy in expanding global aviation networks.
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