The US$36.2 billion aircraft deal converts the carrier’s August 2025 commitment into a firm order for passenger jets and eight 777-8 Freighters.
Korean Air and Boeing marked the finalization of a 103-aircraft order in Seoul, covering 737-10, 787-10, 777-9 and 777-8 Freighter models.
- Korean Air has finalized a 103-aircraft Boeing order comprising 50 737-10s, 25 787-10s, 20 777-9s and eight 777-8 Freighters.
- Korean Air values the aircraft contract at about US$36.2 billion; the deal converts an August 2025 procurement commitment into a firm order.
- The carrier says the investment will support fleet modernization, operational efficiency and longer-term growth as it integrates with Asiana Airlines.
- Boeing said in August 2026 that the 737-10 and 777-9 remained on track for first customer deliveries in 2027, making certification progress an important part of the order’s future deployment.
(NEWS) SEOUL, Republic of Korea, 2026-Sep-16 — /Travel PR News/ — Korean Air has turned one of the aviation industry’s largest recent fleet commitments into a firm order, finalizing the purchase of 103 Boeing aircraft across four passenger and cargo types as it prepares its long-term fleet for growth and integration with Asiana Airlines.
The order comprises 50 Boeing 737-10s, 25 787-10 Dreamliners, 20 777-9s and eight 777-8 Freighters. Boeing announced the final agreement on September 16, converting the procurement commitment first unveiled by the two companies in Washington in August 2025.
Korean Air separately values the aircraft contract at approximately US$36.2 billion. Its own account of the transaction says the airline has also completed roughly US$8.6 billion in agreements with GE Aerospace and CFM International covering 21 spare engines and a 15-year engine-maintenance arrangement for 28 aircraft.
Four aircraft types for different parts of the network
The mix gives Korean Air aircraft for several distinct roles. The 737-10 is the largest member of Boeing’s 737 MAX family and is intended for higher-capacity short- and medium-haul flying. The 787-10 provides a widebody option for long-haul and high-density routes, while the 777-9 is designed as Boeing’s largest current twin-engine passenger aircraft.
The eight 777-8 Freighters extend the order into cargo operations, an important part of Korean Air’s business. When the original commitment was announced in 2025, Boeing said it would represent Korean Air’s first order for the 777-8F.
The deal also substantially builds on Korean Air’s earlier Boeing purchases. In March 2025, the airline placed an order for 20 777-9s and 20 787-10s, meaning the latest finalized package deepens its planned reliance on both widebody families while adding a large tranche of 737-10 narrowbodies.
Modernization is tied to the Asiana integration
Korean Air says the 103-aircraft investment is intended to modernize its fleet, improve operating efficiency and provide capacity for medium- and long-term growth as the carrier continues integrating with Asiana Airlines. The airline also links the newer aircraft to improved fuel efficiency and lower carbon emissions compared with older-generation types they will eventually replace or supplement.
The final contract was commemorated at an event in Seoul attended by Walter Cho, Korean Air Chairman and CEO; Stephanie Pope, President and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes; and Gaël Méheust, President and CEO of CFM International, together with Korean and U.S. government and financial representatives.
Boeing and Korean Air have also presented the transaction as part of broader industrial ties between the United States and the Republic of Korea. That framing reflects the scale of the purchase, but for the airline the more immediate operational issue will be how the different aircraft types enter service over the coming years.
Certification remains part of the delivery picture
Two of the passenger models in the order are still completing their certification and entry-into-service programmes. In an August 2026 programme update, Boeing said it was working toward completion of 737-10 certification tasks during 2026 and first deliveries in 2027. The company also said first delivery of the 777-9 was anticipated in 2027.
That means the finalized order is principally a long-term fleet commitment rather than an immediate capacity addition. Delivery timing across all 103 aircraft will depend on production schedules, certification milestones and Korean Air’s own fleet-planning requirements.
Once deliveries begin, the order will give Korean Air a common set of Boeing types spanning single-aisle passenger flying, long-haul widebody operations and dedicated freighter missions, making the agreement as much a fleet-architecture decision as a headline aircraft purchase.
