 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Founded | June 1962 (as Korean Air Lines) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hubs | |||||||
| Focus cities | |||||||
| Frequent-flyer program | SKYPASS | ||||||
| Alliance | |||||||
| Subsidiaries |
| ||||||
| Fleet size | 167[2] | ||||||
| Destinations | 108[3] | ||||||
| Parent company | Hanjin Group | ||||||
| Traded as | KRX: 003490 | ||||||
| Headquarters | Seoul, South Korea | ||||||
| Key people | Walter Cho (Chairman & CEO) Woo Kee-Hong (President) | ||||||
| Revenue |  US$29,760 million (2023) | ||||||
| Operating income | US$492,521 million (2023) | ||||||
| Net income | US$88,876 million (2023) | ||||||
| Total assets | US$224,351 million (2023) | ||||||
| Employees | 20,000 | ||||||
| Website | koreanair.com | ||||||
| Notes | |||||||
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | |
|---|---|
| Hanja | |
| Revised Romanization | Daehan Hanggong |
| McCune–Reischauer | Taehan Hanggong |
Korean Air Lines Co., Ltd. (KAL; Korean: 주식회사 대한항공; RR: Jusikhoesa Daehan Hanggong), operating as Korean Air, is the flag carrier of South Korea and its largest airline based on fleet size, international destinations, and international flights. It is owned by the Hanjin Group.
The present-day Korean Air traces its history to March 1, 1969, when the Hanjin group acquired government-owned Korean Air Lines, which had operated since June 1962.[5] Korean Air is a founding member of SkyTeam alliance and SkyTeam Cargo. As of 2024, it is one of the 10 airlines ranked 5-star airline by Skytrax,[6] and the top 20 airlines in the world in terms of passengers carried and is also one of the top-ranked international cargo airlines.
Korean Air's international passenger division and related subsidiary cargo division together serve 126 cities in 44 countries. Its domestic division serves 13 destinations. The airline's global headquarters is located in Seoul, South Korea. The airline had approximately 20,540 employees as of December 2014.[7]
The airline was, around 1999, known as "an industry pariah, notorious for fatal crashes" due to its poor safety record and a large number of incidents and accidents.[8] The airline's reputation has significantly improved by 2009 as it has focused investment on improving its safety record including by hiring consultants from Boeing and Delta Air Lines.[9]
In November 2020, it was announced that Korean Air is going to merge with competitor, Asiana Airlines, and proposed merger is currently waiting the U.S. Department of Justice's decision.[10][11]
- ^ "JO 7340.2J – Contractions – Including Change 1" (PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. October 10, 2019. pp. 3–1–53. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
- ^ "Learn More About Us | Korean Air". Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
- ^ "Korean Air on ch-aviation.com". ch-aviation.com. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
- ^ "Investor Relations - Financial Report". Korean Air. December 27, 2023.
- ^ 대한항공(A003490), 지분분석, 기업정보, Company Guide (in Korean). Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
- ^ "Airlines Archive - Page 1". Skytrax. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
- ^ "Who We Are – Korean Air". Korean Air. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
- ^ Carley, William M.; Pasztor, Andy (July 7, 1999). "Korean Air Tries to Fix A Dismal Safety Record". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
- ^ Yu, Roger (August 26, 2009). "Korean Air upgrades service, image". USA Today. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved September 16, 2009.
- ^ Bovenizer, Noah (February 14, 2024). "EU is latest authority to grant approval for Korean Air's Asiana merger". Airport Technology. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
- ^ "U.S. to give final approval on Asiana merger: Korean Air president". Korea JoongAng Daily. May 20, 2024. Retrieved May 25, 2024.