EU approves Korean Air and Asiana merger, US approval pending

The European Commission (EC) has approved Korean Air’s merger with Asiana Airlines on February 13, 2024. Korean Air now only requires the approval of the US competition authority before the merger can be finalised. The EC statement said: “To address the identified competition concerns, commitments have been offered, primarily consisting of two elements: (1) divestment of Asiana Airlines’ cargo freighter business, and (2) providing support to ensure the entry by a new airline on the four overlapping passenger routes between Korea and the European Union.” Korean Air had previously secured approval from Japan in January 2024. It also received approval