Quick access to main page (top) Direct access to main contents Quick access to main page (bottom)

European Commission Approves Korean Air-Asiana Merger with Conditions Attached

alphabiz Views  

The European Union (EU) Competition Authority (EC) has conditionally approved the merger of Korean Air and Asiana Airlines.

With this, the merger has been approved in 13 out of 14 countries, leaving the United States as the lone exception.

Late in the afternoon of the 13th, the EC posted on its website that it conditionally approved the merger of Korean Air and Asiana Airlines.

However, the EC has set conditions, including separating and selling Asiana Airlines’ cargo business and transferring four overlapping European routes.

Previously, Korean Air had sold off the cargo business division of Asiana Airlines, which accounts for 20% of its sales, for the merger.

In November of last year, the sale of the cargo business was approved at a board meeting of Asiana Airlines, and a corrective action plan was submitted to the European competition authorities last month.

In the industry, there was a positive outlook on the EC’s approval of the merger between Korean Air and Asiana Airlines.

With this, the United States, out of a total of 14 countries, remains the only one to approve the merger. It is predominantly expected that the review by U.S. authorities will not be difficult.

However, it is reported that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has raised concerns about monopolies on five of the 13 routes operated by Korean Air and Asiana Airlines in the Americas.

Korean Air will reportedly transfer these routes to other airlines to alleviate monopoly concerns.

Previously, the DOJ had filed a lawsuit in federal court regarding the merger of two U.S. airlines, JetBlue and Spirit. There have been cases where the federal court has sided with the DOJ.

This can be a challenge for Korean Air.

Currently, Korean Air argues that its overlapping routes with Asiana Airlines are only in five locations. In comparison, the merger between JetBlue and Spirit had overlapping routes in over 150 locations, and the fact that they were domestic companies became an issue in the merger review.

“Once the merger approval is completed, we will participate in Asiana Airlines’ paid-in capital increase and incorporate it as a subsidiary,” a Korean Air official told Alphabiz. “The merger will be finalized this year,” it added.

alphabiz
content@www.kangnamtimes.com

Comments0

300

Comments0

[BUSINESS] Latest Stories

  • El Salvador's Bitcoin Reserves See $25 Million Surge After Trump’s Win
  • Who Is Susie Wiles? Meet Trump’s Loyal ‘Ice Baby’ and First Woman Chief of Staff
  • Trump’s 2nd Term Family Drama: Lara and Don Jr. Take Center Stage, Ivanka Steps Aside
  • Boston Dynamics’ Atlas Robot in Hot Dog Costume Stuns with Human-Like Skills
  • With $180M in Support, Musk Backs Trump’s Victory—And Makes It Meme-Worthy
  • Swifties and Celebrities Left Reeling After Trump’s Election Win

Weekly Best Articles

  • Is the Toyota Rumion the Best Value Minivan You Can Buy? Here’s Why It Might Be
  • Lexus Reveals Sporty New ES Facelift with Aggressive Design Changes
  • 2026 Toyota RAV4: Bigger, Bolder, and Hybrid-Only—Is It the Future of SUVs?
  • Byeon Woo Seok’s Hot Streak Continues—Wins Hot Character Award for the Sixth Consecutive Month
  • Jung Hae In Gets Personal: Family First and Thoughts on Marriage Revealed
  • Min Hee Jin Faces $3.6 Million Lawsuit Over ‘False Claims’ About NewJeans Management
  • NewJeans Makes Waves in Japan: ‘Supernatural’ Nominated for the Prestigious Japan Record Award
  • Bruno Mars and Rosé Set to Steal the Show at 2024 MAMA Awards with ‘APT.’ Performance
  • How Honda’s Edix MPV Turns a Compact Design into a Spacious 6-Seater – You’ll Be Shocked
  • Is Elon Musk’s Trump Support Killing Tesla’s Brand? Truth Behind the Sticker Backlash
  • Is China’s Xiaomi SU7 a Road Warrior or a Circuit Breaker? Shocking Track Failures Revealed
  • Lee So Ra Reacts to Unexpected Exit from ‘Supermarket Sora’ Show

You May Also Like

  • 1
    Is Elon Musk’s Trump Support Killing Tesla's Brand? Truth Behind the Sticker Backlash

    TECH 

  • 2
    Is China's Xiaomi SU7 a Road Warrior or a Circuit Breaker? Shocking Track Failures Revealed

    TECH 

  • 3
    Lee So Ra Reacts to Unexpected Exit from ‘Supermarket Sora’ Show

    ENTERTAINMENT 

  • 4
    Lee Min Jung Gets Into the Holiday Spirit Despite Busy Filming Schedule

    ENTERTAINMENT 

  • 5
    Kim Junsu to Pursue Legal Action Against Malicious Rumors Following Extortion Incident

    ENTERTAINMENT 

Popular Now

  • 1
    Chae Soo Bin’s Surprising Hobby? Lying Down and Eating Cereal to Recharge

    ENTERTAINMENT 

  • 2
    BTS’s Jin Reveals How His Military Experience Influenced His Music Career

    ENTERTAINMENT 

  • 3
    Lamborghini's New Icon: The Revuelto Opera Unica Tailored for China

    TECH 

  • 4
    Toyota and Subaru's Engine Woes Lead to Multi-Million Dollar Lawsuit

    TECH 

  • 5
    Classic Meets Contemporary: Inside Modena’s Maserati Shamal Restomod

    TECH 

Weekly Best Articles

  • Is the Toyota Rumion the Best Value Minivan You Can Buy? Here’s Why It Might Be
  • Lexus Reveals Sporty New ES Facelift with Aggressive Design Changes
  • 2026 Toyota RAV4: Bigger, Bolder, and Hybrid-Only—Is It the Future of SUVs?
  • Byeon Woo Seok’s Hot Streak Continues—Wins Hot Character Award for the Sixth Consecutive Month
  • Jung Hae In Gets Personal: Family First and Thoughts on Marriage Revealed
  • Min Hee Jin Faces $3.6 Million Lawsuit Over ‘False Claims’ About NewJeans Management
  • NewJeans Makes Waves in Japan: ‘Supernatural’ Nominated for the Prestigious Japan Record Award
  • Bruno Mars and Rosé Set to Steal the Show at 2024 MAMA Awards with ‘APT.’ Performance
  • How Honda’s Edix MPV Turns a Compact Design into a Spacious 6-Seater – You’ll Be Shocked
  • Is Elon Musk’s Trump Support Killing Tesla’s Brand? Truth Behind the Sticker Backlash
  • Is China’s Xiaomi SU7 a Road Warrior or a Circuit Breaker? Shocking Track Failures Revealed
  • Lee So Ra Reacts to Unexpected Exit from ‘Supermarket Sora’ Show

Must-Reads

  • 1
    Is Elon Musk’s Trump Support Killing Tesla's Brand? Truth Behind the Sticker Backlash

    TECH 

  • 2
    Is China's Xiaomi SU7 a Road Warrior or a Circuit Breaker? Shocking Track Failures Revealed

    TECH 

  • 3
    Lee So Ra Reacts to Unexpected Exit from ‘Supermarket Sora’ Show

    ENTERTAINMENT 

  • 4
    Lee Min Jung Gets Into the Holiday Spirit Despite Busy Filming Schedule

    ENTERTAINMENT 

  • 5
    Kim Junsu to Pursue Legal Action Against Malicious Rumors Following Extortion Incident

    ENTERTAINMENT 

Popular Now

  • 1
    Chae Soo Bin’s Surprising Hobby? Lying Down and Eating Cereal to Recharge

    ENTERTAINMENT 

  • 2
    BTS’s Jin Reveals How His Military Experience Influenced His Music Career

    ENTERTAINMENT 

  • 3
    Lamborghini's New Icon: The Revuelto Opera Unica Tailored for China

    TECH 

  • 4
    Toyota and Subaru's Engine Woes Lead to Multi-Million Dollar Lawsuit

    TECH 

  • 5
    Classic Meets Contemporary: Inside Modena’s Maserati Shamal Restomod

    TECH 

Share it on...