- Korean Air finalises US$44.8bn Boeing order
- Deal covers 103 aircraft and 21 spare engines
- Includes 20 Boeing 777-9s and 25 Boeing 787-10s
- Separate US$8.6bn for engines and maintenance
- Supports capacity growth through Asiana integration
Korean Air has finalised a US$44.8bn agreement with Boeing, GE Aerospace and CFM International, closing out the procurement plan first revealed in Washington DC in August 2025. The deal covers 103 aircraft, 21 spare engines and a 15-year maintenance contract. The US$36.2bn aircraft order breaks down into 20 Boeing 777-9s, 25 Boeing 787-10s, 50 Boeing 737-10s and eight Boeing 777-8F freighters. A separate US$8.6bn covers 21 spare engines from GE Aerospace and CFM International plus 15 years of maintenance support for 28 aircraft.
Korean Air states the deal secures a predictable long-term delivery schedule to support capacity growth through the Asiana integration while also improving fuel efficiency and pushing forward its carbon reduction targets. The 787-10s are likely to be the more immediate change for premium travellers. Korean Air already operates the type, having introduced it in 2024 with a new business class cabin called Prestige Suites 2.0 featuring 36 enclosed suites in a 1-2-1 layout built around a customised Collins Aerospace Horizon seat with a 198cm lie-flat bed, 117cm pitch, a 61cm 4K screen and wifi.
The 777-9 has not flown for any airline as Boeing’s 777X programme remains some years behind its original schedule and the first deliveries are expected in 2027. The 50 Boeing 737-10s may have the greater impact on travellers given how many short-haul and regional Korean Air routes are currently flown on older 737s and A321s. Korean Air’s current narrowbody business class is comparatively modest featuring recliner-style seats over lie-flat suites.
