Korean Air
announced that while the European Commission (EC) has approved its merger with Asiana Airlines, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) remains the last hurdle, which the carrier aims to clear by the end of the year.
Getting European approval
On November 28, Korean Air said that it had satisfied all conditions outlined by the EC to consummate its merger with Asiana Airlines
, with the Commission affirming that the two carriers had alleviated all of its competition concerns that it outlined when it initially approved the merger in February.
“In February 2024, the EC granted conditional approval subject to two key requirements: ensuring stable operations of a remedy carrier on four overlapping European routes (Barcelona, Frankfurt, Paris, and Rome) and the divestiture of Asiana’s freighter business.”
Photo: Thiago B Trevisan | Shutterstock
Korea-based T’Way Air was the remedy taker of the four routes, which has already launched its flights Seoul Incheon International Airport
(ICN) to Barcelona-El Prat Airport
(BCN), 
Frankfurt Airport
(FRA), Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport
(CDG), and Rome Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport
(FCO).
The low-cost carrier has four Airbus A330-300
aircraft in its fleet. Two of them were former Thai AirAsia X
aircraft, while one each was taken over from Aeroflot and the aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance (ACMI) operator SmartLynx Malta
, according to ch-aviation data.
Related
Korean Air-Asiana Airlines Merger Gains European Approval
Korean Air and Asiana Airlines have agreed to certain divestments to satisfy the EU’s competition regulators.
Supporting T’Way Air
Korean Air added that it would – as mandated by the EC – support T’Way Air in launching its European operations, including aircraft, flight crew, and maintenance services. Meanwhile, Air Incheon, a Seoul, South Korea-based cargo carrier with four Boeing 737-800
converted freighters in its fleet, will take over Asiana Cargo and its assets, including aircraft.
Asiana Cargo, the freight subsidiary of Asiana Airlines, had 12 Boeing 747-400
freighters and a single 767F
. In addition to aircraft, Air Incheon will acquire slots, traffic rights, flight crew, other employees, customer cargo contracts, and other items from Asiana Cargo.
Photo: Joe Junzler I Simple Flying
When the EC gave the nod to Korean Air and Asiana Airlines in February, it specified that it would only clear the merger when the two merging airlines would find a suitable buyer for Asiana Cargo’s assets and T’Way Air would launch flights on the four routes.
Data from the aviation analytics company Cirium showed that T’Way Air began flying from Incheon International to Rome-Fiumicino in August, adding itineraries to Barcelona and Paris in September. By October, it also began flying to Frankfurt.
The South Korean carrier has scheduled three weekly flights each to Barcelona, Frankfurt, and Rome and five weekly itineraries to Paris in November. In contrast, Korean Air has four weekly flights to Frankfurt, three to Rome, and six to Paris, while Asiana Airlines has five to Barcelona, daily to Frankfurt, five to Rome, and six to Paris during the same month.
T’Way Air will continue expanding its widebody fleet. In September, the airline announced that it signed an agreement with the aircraft lessor Avolon
to lease five A330-900s
, with the first three being delivered in 2026.
Related
Avolon Leases 5 Airbus A330neos To South Korea’s T’way Air
The planes will be delivered in 2026.
US Approval
Korean Air highlighted that it has submitted the EC’s final approval to the DOJ, adding that it wants to complete the merger process, which it initiated in 2020, before the end of the year.
Previously, reports had surfaced that the DOJ wanted to sue against the two merging entities. In May 2023, Politico reported that the US government feared that the merger could harm competition on flights between South Korea and the US.
Cirium data showed that in November, ten airlines have scheduled flights from Seoul-Incheon to the US, including Guam Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport (GUM), Saipan International Airport (SPN), and the non-mainland Honolulu Daniel K. Inouye International Airport
(HNL).
Out of the total 76,238 weekly seats, Asiana Airlines and Korean Air scheduled 47,329, or 62%. Considering that Korean Air is part of 
SkyTeam
, its alliance partner, 
Delta Air Lines
, adds another 10,318 weekly seats, with the two – Korean Air as the surviving entity of the merger – controlling 75.6% of the total market between South Korea and the US, as well as its overseas territories.
Related
Korean Air Could Retire Its Airbus A220s Following Merger With Asiana Airlines
This would make Korean Air the second airline to retire its A220 fleet, following EgyptAir’s sale of its 12 A220-300s to Azorra.