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Korean Air history
Korean Air company history timeline
The company was founded in June 1962 and is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea.“
In 1970 KAL moved into a new 26-story building built by the Hanil Development Company, a member of the Hanjin Group.
April 1971 Launched trans-Pacific cargo route, Seoul–Tokyo–Los Angeles (first in Korea to launch regular route to the Americas)
Boeing 707-320 aircraft were introduced in 1971, and as a result, the airline began to spread its wings, adding flights around North Asia and North America.
April 1972 Launched first passenger route to the Americas (Seoul–Tokyo–Honolulu–Los Angeles)
The operation of a Seoul-to-Los Angeles cargo route was followed closely by the 1973 acquisition of KAL's first Boeing 747, which was put into immediate service on the route.
But in 1973, Boeing 747-200s began arriving at Korean Air.
In 1973, the airline introduced Boeing 747s on its Pacific routes and started a European service to Paris, Franceusing the 707 and then DC-10.
In 1973, the first Boeing 747 joined the Korean Air fleet.
March 1975 Launched passenger route to Paris, a gateway to Europe
They replaced the 707-320s on flights to Los Angeles and, in 1975, allowed the airline to start its first flight to Europe.
In 1975, the airline became one of the first Asian airlines to operate Airbus aircraft with the purchase of 3 Airbus A300s, which were put into immediate service on Asian routes.
December 1976 Completed helicopter plant in Gimhae (currently Busan Tech Center)
In 1976 KAL established an aerospace division to contribute to South Korea's aviation and defense industry.
Borrowing engineers from its maintenance department and using the resources of the Hanjin Group, KAL formed the Korean Institute of Aeronautical Technology as a subsidiary in 1978.
March 1979 Launched passenger route to New York
On the civil passenger side of operations KAL continued its expansion with services to Paris, Manila, Bahrain, Zurich, Nagoya, Kuwait, Colombo, and Abu Dhabi by 1979.
In 1979, flights to New York started.
By 1980, new international routes were added, including Seoul – Los Angeles and Seoul – New York.
In 1981, Korean Air opens own cargo terminal at Los Angeles International Airport.
Most notoriously, a Korean 747 operating a passenger flight from New York to Seoul via Anchorage on September 1, 1983, was shot down by a Soviet Su-15 interceptor after the jet allegedly breached USSR airspace.
March 1984 Established headquarters in Seosomun
A blue-top, silver and redesigned livery with a new corporate "Korean Air" logo featuring a stylized Taegeuk design was introduced on March 1, 1984, and the airline's name changed to Korean Air from Korean Air Lines.
In the 1984, Korean Air's head office was in the KAL Building on Namdaemunno, Jung-gu, Seoul.
KAL continued to be one of Boeing's prized customers with an order for ten of the aircraft in 1988.
Governmental restrictions on overseas travel by South Korean citizens were lifted in 1989, resulting in a 100 percent annual increase in passenger volume out of the country in each of the last two years, with more growth predicted in the near future.
In 1990, Korean Air established its own computer center and implemented a computer reservation system (CRS).
May 1991 Graduated first pilots from Korean Air Flying School
KAL's first scheduled flight to Moscow from Seoul occurred in 1991, and the break-up of the USSR eased relations between South Korea and the former Soviet states.
Still, a $5 billion debt guaranteed navigating the company would remain a challenge for Cho Yang Ho, who succeeded his father as president in 1992.
In April, 1994, the airline celebrated its 25th anniversary, reaching the 150 million passengers carried milestone.
In March, 1995, the 100th aircraft, a Boeing 747-400, joined the fleet.
Operating revenue reached $4.4 billion in 1995.
May 1997 Established new headquarters in Gimpo
In 1997, 25.5 million passengers flew KAL, which boasts the largest cargo operations of any passenger airline.
The results seemed to justify the company's aircraft purchases, which let it boast one of the youngest fleets in the world, as well as sales of about 18 older aircraft in 1997.
Such advantages allowed KAL to again announce a profit, of 250 billion won, for 1998.
The airline's reputation had become so poor, Delta Air Lines and Air France dropped Korean Air as a codeshare partner in 1999 - but that was after years of bad headlines.
On 23 June 2000, along with Aeroméxico, Air France and Delta Air Lines, Korean Air founded world's major airline alliance, SkyTeam and SkyTeam Cargo, founded on 28 September 2000.
On June 5, 2007, Korean Air said that it would create a new low-cost carrier called Jin Air in Korea to compete with Korea's KTX high-speed railway network system, which offered cheaper fares and less stringent security procedures compared to air travel.
By 2007, Korean Air grows to almost 17,000 employees and a network that reaches over 110 cities.
In July, 2008, Jin Air, Korean Air’s low cost subsidiary, is launched.
Jin Air started its scheduled passenger service from Seoul to Jeju on July 17, 2008.
In 2009 Korean Air was selected as Best Airline in China Top 5 by National Geographic Traveler China, ranked number one global cargo airline by IATA for fifth consecutive year and received “Global Award” in “2009 PAX Leadership Award”.
In August 2010, Hanjin Group, the parent of Korean, opened a new cargo terminal at Navoi in Uzbekistan, which will become a cargo hub with regular Incheon-Navoi-Milan flights.
During 2010 Korean Air was named “Best First Class Airline 2010 (Asia)” by UK Business Destinations magazine, was ranked number on global cargo airline by IATA for sixth consecutive year.
During 2010 Korean Air was named “Best First Class Airline 2010 (Asia)” by UK Business Destinations magazine, was ranked number on global cargo airline by IATA for sixth consecutive year. It was awarded by Airbus as “A330 Award for Top Operational Excellence” and it won the 2010 Excellence Innovation Award.
In 2011, A380s began landing at the airline, further consolidating Korean's reputation as a serious, long-haul airline.
In 2013, Korean Air acquired a 44% stake in Czech Airlines.
In August 2015, Korean Air introduced its first B747-8 Intercontinental aircraft.
In September 2016, Korean Air and Delta Air Lines announced the strengthening their partnership by expanding codeshares planned for launch in the fourth quarter of 2016, subject to government approvals.
In February 2017, Korean Air unveiled its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner at Incheon Airport.
In 2013, Korean Air acquired a 44% stake in Czech Airlines. It sold the stake in October 2017.
In December 2017, Korean Air took delivery of its first Airbus A220 300 (Bombardier CS300) aircraft, becoming the first airline in Asia to introduce this type of aircraft.
On May 1, 2018, the airline launched a joint venture partnership with Delta Air Lines.
In June 2019, Korean Air announced new plans to modernize the fleet, signing a memorandum of understanding to purchase 30 Boeing Dreamliners.
Korean Air is scheduled to add to its fleet 5 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners this year, with another 5 to join the fleet by 2019.
On 16 November 2020, the Government of the Republic of Korea officially announced that Korean Air will acquire Asiana Airlines.
In March 2021, KAL announced the merger with Asiana Airlines will be delayed as foreign authorities have not approved the deal.
And for non-essential countries, on June 2021, Philippine is the first country to approved.
In 2021, Korean Air Lines has transformed itself into one of the best carriers in the world.
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Korean Air competitors
| Company name | Founded date | Revenue | Employee size | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air France | 1933 | $17.3B | 84,714 | - |
| Turkish Airlines | 1933 | $12.9B | 31,543 | - |
| Cathay Pacific | 1946 | $14.2B | 15 | 3 |
| Air China Cargo | 2003 | $1.2M | 125 | 1 |
| Lufthansa | 1953 | $39.0B | 138,353 | 8 |
| Delta Air Lines | 1924 | $61.6B | 86,564 | 256 |
| dnata | 1959 | $590.0M | 13,572 | 65 |
| Air Wisconsin Airlines | 1965 | $530.0M | 1,500 | 16 |
| Swissport USA, Inc. | 1967 | $150.0M | 450 | - |
| Huntleigh USA | 1992 | $690.0M | 3,000 | 36 |
Korean Air history FAQs
Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Korean Air, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Korean Air. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Korean Air. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by Korean Air. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Korean Air and its employees or that of Zippia.
Korean Air may also be known as or be related to Korean Air and Korean Air Lines Co., Ltd.