Korean Air and Asiana Airlines have officially approved the final merger plan that will see Asiana fully integrated into Korean Air on December 17, 2026. The move marks the end of the Asiana brand after nearly four decades of operations in the aviation industry.
Under the agreement, Korean Air will absorb all of Asiana’s assets, liabilities, rights, obligations and employees, creating a single unified carrier under the Korean Air identity. The merger follows years of regulatory reviews and approvals after Korean Air acquired a controlling stake in Asiana back in 2024.
The deal is considered one of the biggest changes in South Korea’s aviation sector, as the country’s two major full-service airline rivals will no longer operate separately. Industry observers note that the disappearance of the Asiana brand represents the end of an important chapter in Asian aviation history.
As part of the transition, Asiana Airlines is also expected to exit the Star Alliance network, with operations gradually shifting under Korean Air’s SkyTeam-aligned structure. The integration is expected to strengthen Korean Air’s global network and operational scale while simplifying airline operations under a single brand.