Korean Air ramps up safety measures ahead of Asiana merger
Ahead of the merger with Asiana Airlines in December, Korean Air has stepped up safety preparations by building a large maintenance hangar at Incheon International Airport and integrating the carriers' pilot training.
Korean Air has stepped up safety preparations ahead of its December merger with Asiana Airlines by expanding maintenance facilities and aligning both carriers' pilot training.
Most notably, the airline is building a large maintenance hangar at Incheon International Airport to accommodate the combined fleet and expanding its Engine Test Cell facilities, which are used to verify engine performance after maintenance work, it said on Wednesday.
The carrier has also integrated the pilot training process. Since the first half of this year, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines flight crews have trained using the same materials and methods — a pre-emptive step designed to ensure safety standards are maintained during the transition.
Additionally, Korean Air said that it is working to embed a safety culture throughout its workforce, ensuring that staff across all departments can report safety hazards without fear of disciplinary action. The airline argues that higher voluntary reporting rates allow it to detect early warning signs before they become serious incidents.
To that end, Korean Air introduced a Just Culture committee in January 2024 to evaluate incidents according to structured guidelines and distinguish between unintentional human error and deliberate violations. The safety-related data collected is used to drive improvements in operations and working conditions.
The safety policies will be applied consistently across all Hanjin Group aviation affiliates. The group's safety roundtable brings together Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Jin Air, Air Busan, Air Seoul, the Korea Airport Service and Asiana Airport to discuss group-wide safety management and coordinate on shared policies, including a ban on the use of portable battery packs on board.
The airline has been ramping up its safety preparations since the merger was approved in May. "Customers awaiting the merger carry not only expectations but anxiety," Cho Won-tae, the chairman of logistics and airline conglomerate Hanjin Group, had said in the airline's founding ceremony in March.
BY YOO JI-YOEN [[email protected]]
