Korean Air announced that while the European Commission (EC) has approved its merger with Asiana Airlines, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) remains the last hurdle, which the carrier aims to clear by the end of the year. Getting European approval On November 28, Korean Air said that it had satisfied all conditions outlined by the EC to consummate its merger with Asiana Airlines , with the Commission affirming that the two carriers had alleviated all of its competition concerns that it outlined when it initially approved the merger in February. “In February 2024, the EC granted conditional approval subject to two key requirements: ensuring stable operations of a remedy carrier on four overlapping European routes (Barcelona, Frankfurt, Paris, and Rome) and the divestiture of Asiana's freighter business.
” Korea-based T’Way Air was the remedy taker of the four routes, which has already launched its flights Seoul Incheon International Airport (ICN) to Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN), Frankfurt Airport (FRA), Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport (CDG), and Rome Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport (FCO). The low-cost carrier has four Airbus A330-300 aircraft in its fleet. Two of them were former Thai AirAsia X aircraft, while one each was taken over from Aeroflot and the aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance (ACMI) operator SmartLynx Malta , according to ch-aviation data.
Korean Air and Asiana Airlines have agreed to certain divestments to satisfy the EU's compe.
