[REVISION HISTORY]

Korean Air and Asiana Airlines merger

Updated 4 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-17 20:12 UTC → 2026-09-30 01:48 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Asiana Airlines shareholders have approved a merger with Korean Air, concluding a nearly six-year acquisition process. The acquisition, valued at 1.8 trillion won ($1.6 billion), is expected to create the world’s 10th-largest airline by fleet size. The formal merger is scheduled for December 17, 2026. On September 16, 2026, the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) granted final approval for the integration of mileage programs. Under the approved plan, all new miles earned after the merger will be credited directly to Korean Air’s SKYPASS program. Existing Asiana Airlines miles will be transferred to Korean Air but maintained as a separate balance within member accounts for 10 years. Customers may choose to keep these miles separate for award tickets and upgrades or convert them to SKYPASS at any time. The conversion will follow a dual structure: miles earned through flights will convert at a 1:1 ratio, while partner miles will convert at a 1:0.82 ratio. To facilitate the transition, Asiana elite status will be automatically matched to corresponding Korean Air levels, supported by a new ‘Morning Calm Select’ tier offering SkyTeam Elite Plus benefits. Korean Air has also committed to maintaining award seat availability at or above pre-merger levels, specifically targeting long-haul routes to Europe, America, and Oceania. ~~To improve operational efficiency,~~ In preparation for the ~~merged entity plans to redistribute flight slots and adjust departure times to reduce overlap~~ December 17 merger, Asiana Airlines announced on ~~similar routes. The integration also aims to strengthen Incheon International Airport’s position~~ September 29, 2026, that it will operate 73 special mileage-only flights across popular routes in Japan, China, and Southeast Asia. These flights, serving destinations such as ~~a global transit hub. Additionally, Korean Air has signed a memorandum of understanding~~ Tokyo, Osaka, Beijing, Hanoi, and Manila, will run between November and December to provide customers with ~~Japan Airlines (JAL)~~ increased opportunities to ~~deepen strategic cooperation in passenger services and loyalty programs.~~ utilize accumulated miles before the integration.

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