As Korean Air prepares to fully absorb Asiana Airlines, following the acquisition, the fleet of the airline and the group as a whole is going to change substantially in the coming months and years. So here’s what it looks like right now in 2026.
In this post:
- Korean Air Fleet Overview 2026
- What’s next for the fleet leading up to 2030
- The Asiana Integration Challenge
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Korean Air Fleet Overview 2026
| Division | Aircraft |
|---|---|
| Passenger | 141 |
| Cargo | 23 |
First things first, let’s separate the fleet between passenger and cargo aircraft. Korean Air operates a large cargo division due to the exporting necessities of the Korean economy.
Additionally, the aircraft count does not include any Asiana aircraft, as those are still listed under the Asiana fleet and will only be integrated into the Korean Air fleet later on when the airlines fully integrate.
As for the aircraft breakdown, here’s what it looks like:
| Code | Manufacturer | Aircraft Type | Active Fleet | Primary Routes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B77W | Boeing | 777-300ER | 25 | Long-haul international |
| A21N | Airbus | A321neo | 20 | Regional international |
| A333 | Airbus | A330-300 | 18 | Medium to long-haul international |
| B739 | Boeing | 737-900 | 15 | Regional international |
| B78X | Boeing | 787-10 | 15 | High-density routes |
| B789 | Boeing | 787-9 | 14 | Long-haul, fuel-efficient routes |
| B77L | Boeing | 777F | 12 | Cargo Operations |
| BCS3 | Airbus | A220-300 | 10 | Domestic and short-haul |
| B748 | Boeing | 747-8F | 7 | Cargo Operations |
| B38M | Boeing | 737 MAX 8 | 6 | Domestic/short-haul |
| A388 | Airbus | A380-800 | 5 | Ultra long-haul, high-capacity |
| B748 | Boeing | 747-8 | 4 | Ultra long-haul |
| B744 | Boeing | 747-400F | 4 | Cargo Operations |
| B773 | Boeing | 777-300 | 3 | High-demand medium-haul |
| A359 | Airbus | A350-900 | 3 | Long-haul, fuel-efficient routes |
| B738 | Boeing | 737-800 | 2 | Domestic/short-haul |
| – | – | Total | 163 | – |
With all the numbers out of the way, it’s worth noting a few things about the fleet. Korean Air is in the process of slowly getting rid of some of its aircraft that it is not truly fond of. Those aircraft types include:
- A220-300, which the management has teased time and time again that it is on the way out
- 747-8, of which it has also recently sold off some
- A380, which is proving to be rather expensive to operate
Instead, the airline is opting for more fuel-efficient new generation twin-engine jets.
Korean Air Fleet Future: What’s Next for 2026-2030
So what’s next and coming up for Korean Air’s fleet in the next years. A lot of things, would be the short and sweet answer. The airline will be undergoing a lengthy fleet unification process as the Asiana fleet and operations will need to be absorbed into the main brand.
Additionally some substantial fleet renovation will take place. Korean Air has recently ordered 33 Airbus A350s, split in 6 A350-900 and 27 A350-1000, which will become the backbone to the airline’s long and ultra-long range operations. The first of the A350-900s have already joined the Korean Air fleet, but the larger A350-1000 is still come.
The Airbus A350 order will help replace those aging A330 and balance between the two aircraft manufacturers will be maintained thanks to the 20 Boeing 777-9 order placed at Farnborough Air Show (2024). Those 20 777-9s will become the high capacity long haul go to aircraft when the time will come to phase out the 747s and A380s.
The Asiana Integration Challenge
Now, the big challenge for the HanJin Group in the upcoming years is going to be fully integrating the two fleets of the airlines that it now controls: Korean Air and Asiana.
There will have to be a lot of decisions made on which aircraft to keep and which ones to scrap.
The process won’t be just as simple as adding the Asiana aircraft to the Korean Air ones, as that size of an airline is just too big to be financially profitable in the Korean landscape.
Additionally, it would be oversized in terms of seat capacity on the market, which would reduce the air fares, and that is not something that Korean Air is looking forward to doing.
The whole point of acquiring Asiana was to consolidate and have much stronger control over the domestic and international air travel market to and from Korea.
Unrelated to the fleet itself, or to put it better, the composition of the fleet, Korean Air has made its first moves towards integrating with Asiana by presenting a new brand identity. Additionally, within the airport, it is now restructuring its lounges to accommodate a larger number of passengers when eventually the Asiana passengers will fly on Korean Air metal.