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Korean Air and Asiana Airlines have formally approved their merger.
Korean Air said its board of directors held a regular meeting Wednesday morning at its Seosomun Building in Jung-gu, Seoul, and passed a resolution approving the merger. Because the transaction meets the requirements for a small-scale merger under Article 527-3 of the Commercial Act, the board resolution substitutes for a shareholder vote on Korean Air's side.
Asiana Airlines held an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders the same morning at its headquarters in Osoedong, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, and passed a resolution approving the merger agreement. Shareholders representing 81.86 percent of all outstanding shares attended, and 99.3 percent of those present — 167,436,677 shares — voted in favor. The result satisfies the special resolution requirements set out in Articles 522 and 434 of the Commercial Act.
Asiana Airlines CEO Song Bo-young said the airline would successfully complete its combination with Korean Air and emerge as a unified carrier. "This will be the first step in writing a new chapter in Korea's aviation industry as a mega-carrier," Song said, adding that the company would thoroughly prepare all necessary steps for a successful launch of the integrated airline on the strength of the shareholder vote.
The two carriers plan to complete remaining procedures — including creditor protection processes — and register the merger on Dec. 17.
Korean Air has been carrying out post-merger integration work since acquiring Asiana Airlines. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport granted conditional approval for the merger on June 25 after a rigorous review, and a securities registration statement filed with financial regulators took effect July 24. The airline is also working closely with relevant authorities to obtain an integrated air operator certificate and secure operating permits from overseas aviation regulators in time for the combined carrier's launch.
"We will complete all remaining procedures without a hitch over the roughly four months until the integrated airline launches, and do our utmost to elevate the standing of Korea's aviation industry," a Korean Air official said.
With the merger resolutions now complete, the final stages of integration are expected to accelerate. The two airlines plan to strengthen their collaborative framework as they work toward becoming a single team, focusing on systems integration and organizational culture alignment to ensure stable, safe operations and premium service from the combined carrier's first day.
Korean Air is providing job training to Asiana Airlines' passenger and cargo staff to prepare for the launch, while flight and cabin crews are also undergoing training and drills for post-integration duties. The two carriers successfully completed a joint emergency evacuation demonstration, validating the readiness of crew members from both airlines to ensure passenger safety after the merger. Joint volunteer activities and other grassroots exchanges between employees of the two airlines are also growing.
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