Korean Air and Asiana Airlines have approved their merger, with the combined airline scheduled to begin operations on December 17, 2026.
Korean Air’s board approved the merger agreement on August 12. Asiana Airlines shareholders also approved the deal, with 99.3% of the shares represented at the meeting voting in favour.
The two airlines signed the merger agreement in May 2026. The merger registration is expected to be completed on December 17, subject to creditor protection procedures and other administrative requirements.
Korean Air is working on the operational steps required for the integration, including Air Operator Certificate (AOC) amendments, international operating permits, systems integration, and joint training.
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South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport granted conditional merger approval on June 25, followed by clearance of the merger registration statement on July 24.
The remaining work is focused on integrating the airlines’ systems, operations and training programmes ahead of the December launch.
