Korean Air and Asiana Airlines Move Closer to December Integrated Airline Launch
(IN SHORT) Korean Air and Asiana Airlines have secured formal approvals for their merger agreement, with Korean Air’s board ratifying the deal on 12 August 2026 under small-scale merger requirements in Article 527-3 of Korea’s Commercial Act, while Asiana Airlines shareholders approved the merger at an extraordinary general meeting with 81.86 percent shareholder attendance and 99.3 percent of votes in favour, representing 167,436,677 shares. The approvals ratify the merger agreement executed by both boards in May 2026 and clear a major milestone toward corporate merger registration, expected on 17 December 2026, following creditor protection procedures and remaining administrative steps. Korean Air is continuing its Post-Merger Integration roadmap after conditional approval from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on 25 June 2026 and clearance of the merger registration statement on 24 July 2026, while also working on Air Operator Certificate amendments, international operational permits, systems integration, joint training and team engagement ahead of the integrated airline’s planned launch.
(PRESS RELEASE) SEOUL, South Korea, 2026-Aug-12 — /Travel PR News/ — Korean Air and Asiana Airlines have secured formal board and shareholder approvals for their merger agreement, marking a major milestone ahead of the planned launch of the integrated airline on 17 December 2026.
Korean Air’s board of directors ratified the merger agreement on 12 August 2026, fulfilling small-scale merger requirements under Article 527-3 of Korea’s Commercial Act.
At the same time, Asiana Airlines received shareholder approval at an extraordinary general meeting.
The meeting recorded 81.86 percent shareholder attendance, with 99.3 percent of votes cast in favour of the merger, representing 167,436,677 shares.
The approvals formally ratify the merger agreement executed by the boards of both airlines in May 2026.
Following creditor protection procedures and remaining administrative formalities, the corporate merger registration is expected to be completed on 17 December 2026.
Korean Air is continuing to advance its Post-Merger Integration roadmap as preparations move forward.
The process follows conditional merger approval from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on 25 June 2026 and clearance of the merger registration statement on 24 July 2026.
The airline is also proceeding with Air Operator Certificate amendments and international operational permits in close consultation with the relevant authorities.
With the latest approvals now completed, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines are accelerating operational readiness ahead of the integrated airline’s launch.
Current priorities include systems integration, joint training and employee engagement across both organisations.
The merger approval milestone brings the two carriers closer to completing one of the most significant airline integration processes in the region, with the combined airline expected to begin operating as an integrated entity in December 2026.
