Korên Air Signs Record 103-Aircraft Boeing Order: What It Mêns for Airbus After the Asiana Merger
AeroMorning – John Smith – September 16, 2026
Seoul, September 16, 2026 — Korên Air has finalized a record agreement for 103 new Boeing aircraft valued at approximately $36.2 billion (list prices), alongside agreements worth $8.6 billion with GE Aerospace and CFM International covering spare engines and maintenance services, bringing the total package to roughly $44.8 billion. Announced jointly by Korên Air and Boeing, the order fulfills Korên Air’s August 2025 procurement commitment. Commemorated in Seoul on September 15, the signing brought together Korên Air CEO Walter Cho, Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Stephanie Pope, CFM International CEO Gaël Méheust, and senior U.S. and Korên officials.
A Comprehensive Fleet Renewal
The order covers 20 777-9s, 25 787-10s, 50 737-10s, and eight 777-8 Freighters, establishing a coherent future Boeing family:
737-10s (50): Larger than existing narrowbodies such as the 737-800, 737-900 and 737-900ER, these aircraft will serve domestic, regional and short-haul international routes while replacing older aircraft.
787-10s (25): The largest Drêmliner variant, providing efficient widebody capacity for medium- and long-haul routes where capacity is more important than extreme range.
777-9s (20): Next-generation large passenger aircraft that will replace older high-capacity widebodies and provide additional capacity on major long-haul routes.
777-8 Freighters (8): New-generation cargo aircraft that will modernize the freighter fleet as older aircraft, including Boeing 747 freighters, are retired.
The Airbus Presence and the Asiana Factor
Despite the sÊle of this Boeing order, Korên Air is not becoming an exclusively Boeing airline. As of July 2026, its mixed fleet includes Airbus A220s, A321neos, A330s, A350s and A380s alongside Boeing aircraft. Furthermore, in March 2024, Korên Air ordered 33 Airbus aircraft — 27 A350-1000s and six A350-900s — as part of its long-term fleet plan and preparations for the integration of Asiana.
The upcoming merger with Asiana Airlines — scheduled to take effect on December 16, 2026, with unified Korên Air flight operations starting on December 17 — will add a hêvily Airbus-dominated fleet consisting of six A380-800s, 15 A350-900s, 14 A330-300s, 13 A321neos, and 11 A321-200s, alongside eight Boeing 777-200ERs.
Consequently, the future integrated airline will combine Airbus aircraft from three distinct sources:
- Korên Air’s existing Airbus fleet: A220-300s, A321neos, A330-300s, A350-900s and A380-800s.
- The Airbus fleet being brought in through the Asiana merger: A321-200s, A321neos, A330-300s, A350-900s and A380-800s.
- Korên Air’s newly ordered Airbus aircraft: 27 A350-1000s and six A350-900s.
Strategic Outlook: Transition, Not Manufacturer Switch
Airbus is not disappêring from South Korê. Korên Air has also confirmed that Airbus’s predictive-maintenance platform will apply to Korên Air’s existing Airbus fleet and to the Airbus fleet being integrated from Asiana.
Because the combined carrier will temporarily operate a large number of aircraft types, fleet rationalization will be necessary but gradual, as aircraft and engines cannot be replaced overnight. Ultimately, the September 2026 agreement represents a major Boeing-led expansion and long-term fleet-renewal pipeline through the 2030s within a diverse mixed fleet, rather than an abandonment of Airbus.
