Korean Air–Asiana merger: 10 routes to be reassigned to prevent monopoly

South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission (FTC) announced that the redistribution of 10 monopolised routes operated by Korean Air and Asiana Airlines will begin soon as part of ongoing corrective measures linked to their merger.

The affected routes include four to the United States, four domestic, one to London, and one to Jakarta. These routes will be reassigned through an open bidding process, with eligible carriers to be selected by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s air transport evaluation committee.

The move follows conditions set by the FTC when it approved the merger in December 2024, requiring the transfer of airport slots and traffic rights for 34 routes to alternative carriers to prevent market dominance.

Some reassignments have already taken place — Air Premia, United Airlines, and T’way Air have taken over routes between Incheon and Los Angeles, San Francisco, Barcelona, Frankfurt, Paris, and Rome.

The newly reassigned routes are expected to be operational by the first half of 2026, while the remaining 18 routes will be redistributed early next year.