Korean Air

Korean Air Co., Ltd. (KAL) is the flag carrier of South Korea and its largest airline. It is owned by the Hanjin Group and is a founding member of the SkyTeam alliance. As of 2024, it is ranked as a 5-star airline by Skytrax and is among the top 20 airlines in the world for passengers carried.

The airline began in 1969 when the Hanjin group took over Korean Air Lines, which started operating in 1962. Today, Korean Air serves many cities in 44 countries with its passenger and cargo divisions, and 13 domestic destinations. Its headquarters are in Seoul, South Korea.

In the late 1990s, Korean Air had some safety problems. By 2009, the airline had improved by working with experts from Boeing and Delta Air Lines. In November 2020, plans were made to merge with Asiana Airlines, but later changed to a major stake purchase after concerns from the United States Department of Justice. The acquisition was completed on December 12, 2024.

History

Founding

In 1962, the government of South Korea took over an older airline and renamed it Korean Air Lines. Then, in 1969, a big company called Hanjin took over, and that marked the start of Korean Air. Soon after, the airline began flying cargo and then started passenger flights to Los Angeles.

Expansion

Korean Air flew to many places like Hong Kong and Japan using Boeing 707 airplanes until they got new Boeing 747 planes in 1973. That same year, they also started flights to Paris, France. By 1975, they were among the first in Asia to use Airbus airplanes. In 1981, they opened a special area at Los Angeles Airport for their cargo planes. Because planes from South Korea couldn’t fly through North Korea or the Soviet Union, their routes to Europe went eastward from Seoul, stopping in Anchorage before reaching Paris.

Change to 'Korean Air'

In 1984, Korean Air changed its name from Korean Air Lines to just Korean Air and gave its planes a new look with a special design called Taegeuk. They used new types of planes like the MD-80 and Boeing 747-300 with this design. Later, they got some new McDonnell Douglas MD-11 planes, but these didn’t work well for passengers, so they were used for cargo instead.

Early 21st century

In 2000, Korean Air joined with other airlines to create a group called Sky Team. In 2007, they started a cheaper airline called Jin Air. In 2010, they made special planes with StarCraft II designs for fun. By 2013, they bought part of an airline in the Czech Republic but sold it later. In 2019, they made a safety video with a popular K-pop group called SuperM. By 2023, they were named a 5-star airline. In 2025, they bought part of a Canadian airline called WestJet.

Merger with Asiana Airlines

Main article: Merger of Korean Air and Asiana Airlines

In 2020, the South Korean government said Korean Air would take over Asiana Airlines because of challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan was to combine some smaller airlines to make a new one focused on local airports. However, the merger took time because other countries were careful about approving it. Finally, in December 2024, Korean Air completed the purchase of Asiana Airlines, making it the bigger airline in the country and one of the largest in the world.

Rebranding

On 11 March 2025, Korean Air announced big changes to its brand as part of merging with Asiana Airlines. The famous Taegeuk symbol was updated to a dark blue color, and the airline’s name was changed to use a new font called “Korean Air Sans.” These changes will fully happen by 2027 when Asiana’s brand will disappear, and everyone will be Korean Air. New uniforms for employees will also come in 2027.

Corporate affairs and identity

Korean Air is owned by the Hanjin Group and is led by Walter Cho, who is part of the family's third generation to run the airline. Delta Air Lines also owns a part of the company.

The main international hub for Korean Air is Incheon International Airport. The airline's headquarters are at Gimpo International Airport in Seoul, with additional hubs at Jeju International Airport and Gimhae International Airport in Busan. Korean Air also has a division that works on aerospace research and manufacturing, creating different aircraft parts and models.

Destinations

Main article: List of Korean Air destinations

Korean Air works with many airlines around the world through special travel agreements. These partnerships make it easier for passengers to book flights and visit many different places. Some of the airlines Korean Air partners with include Air France, Delta Air Lines, and Emirates.

Korean Air also has special travel plans with a few other airlines, such as Air Premia and JetBlue. Members of the Skywards program from Emirates can earn points when flying with Korean Air and use those points for free flights.

Fleet

Current fleet

As of January 2026, Korean Air uses the following airplanes:

Fleet development

In 2018, Korean Air talked about getting new big airplanes to replace some older ones. They thought about getting Boeing 777X and Airbus A350 XWB planes. In 2025, they decided to get eight Boeing 777-8F cargo planes.

Gallery

• Korean Air current fleet
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Airbus A220-300

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Airbus A321neo

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Airbus A330-300

Airbus A350-900

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Airbus A380-800

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Boeing 737-800

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Boeing 737-900

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Boeing 737-900ER

Boeing 737 MAX 8

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Boeing 747-400ERF

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Boeing 747-8F

Boeing 747-8

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Boeing 777-300

Boeing 777-300ER

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Boeing 777F

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Boeing 787-9

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Boeing 787-10

Retired fleet

Korean Air has also used the following airplanes:

Services

Korean Air offers different seating areas for passengers. They have two types of the best seats, three types of comfortable middle seats called "Prestige Class", and one regular seat area called economy class. Some of their biggest planes have the best seats available.

Passengers can enjoy many different meals during the flight. They can choose from traditional Korean dishes, Western meals, and sometimes even Chinese food, depending on where they are flying. Everyone gets different meal choices based on where they are sitting.

Business class passengers have large screens to watch shows and movies during the flight. Some planes even let passengers connect their own headphones wireless or use the plane's internet.

Awards

Korean Air has won many awards for its service and quality. In 2020, it got a 5-Star Airline Rating from Skytrax. In 2021, it was named Airline of the Year by Air Transport World. Korean Air kept winning awards in later years for its cargo service, business-class seats, airline food, frequent-flyer program, and service on the plane. Most recently, in 2025, it was named Airline of the Year by AirlineRatings.com.

Incidents and accidents

Safety at Korean Air has improved a lot since the 1990s. In 2001, a group that checks airplane safety gave Korea a better rating. In 2005, Korean Air passed an important test from a group of airlines.

Between 1970 and 1999, there were some problems with Korean Air flights. The worst was in 1983 when a plane was shot down, and everyone on board died. The last serious passenger crash happened in 1997. In 2022, another plane had trouble landing in the Philippines.