Brussels: The European Union has announced that the passenger service-related commitments proposed by South Korean carriers Korean Air Co. and Asiana Airlines Inc. for their anticipated merger have been satisfactorily fulfilled. This development was confirmed by the EU's executive body on Thursday, although the final approval for the merger is still awaited.According to Yonhap News Agency, Korean Air executed a divestiture of four European passenger flight routes to the budget airline T'way Air Co. This was part of a conditional approval from the European Commission (EC) provided in February. Alongside, Korean Air has agreed to sell Asiana's cargo operations to Air Incheon Co. as a remedial measure.Lea Zuber, the EC's spokesperson for competition, shared in a statement to Yonhap News Agency that the commission concluded on Friday (Brussels time) that T'way Air "has fulfilled the completion condition for the passenger commitments set out in the conditional approval decision." This conclusion was based on a report submitted by a monitoring trustee.Despite these developments, a final EC approval for the Korean Air-Asiana merger remains pending. The EC is currently evaluating Air Incheon's proposed acquisition of Asiana's cargo division, as indicated by the spokesperson. "The closing of the transaction between Korean Air and Asiana Airlines remains conditional upon the commission's approval of a suitable buyer for the cargo divestiture business," the spokesperson clarified, noting that the timing or outcome cannot be prejudged.Regarding the passenger route transfer to T'way Air, the EC verified that the budget airline has complied with the requirements of operating a specified number of services on each of the four specified routes. These routes link Incheon, South Korea's primary airport, with international destinations including Frankfurt, Paris, Rome, and Barcelona, for a predetermined duration.T'way Air also met its obligation to sell tickets for prospective services on these routes for two successive In ternational Air Transport Association seasons, extending until October 2025, as per Zuber's statement.Many industry experts in South Korea anticipated that the EC would finalize its decision on the 1.8 trillion-won (US$1.4 billion) merger deal within November. However, the latest EC statement indicates that the final EU approval might be delayed.Korean Air has thus far secured approval from 12 countries and regions, but is still awaiting the final nod from the EU and the United States. Meanwhile, a spokesperson from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), which is responsible for reviewing antitrust matters, declined to comment on the department's evaluation of the merger when inquired by Yonhap.Reports have suggested that the DOJ considered initiating a lawsuit to block the deal due to competition concerns in the U.S. market. To address these concerns, Korean Air has expanded its code-sharing arrangements with Air Premia for North American routes.A Korean Air spokesperson informed Yonhap News Agency la st week that the airline "will continue to communicate closely with the relevant authorities to secure approval from the remaining regulatory bodies, including the DOJ."The merger, initiated in November 2020, involves Korean Air acquiring a controlling stake in Asiana, aiming to create the world's 10th-largest airline by fleet. The two full-service carriers currently hold a combined 40 percent of passenger and cargo slots at Incheon International Airport, located west of Seoul.
- October 12, 2026
