On August 25, Korean Air signed a purchase agreement during the South Korea-U.S. summit to acquire a total of 103 new aircraft from U.S. manufacturer Boeing. The investment in Boeing aircraft amounts to 50.5 trillion won (36.2 billion dollars). In addition, the airline plans to purchase aircraft engines worth 19.1 trillion won from GE Aerospace and engine maintenance services valued at 18.1 trillion won.
Yang Ji-hwan, a researcher at Daishin Securities, explained, "Following the acquisition of Asiana Airlines, Korean Air Group is operating 301 aircraft as of the end of the first half of 2025. Including the 191 aircraft ordered prior to the summit, the total number of aircraft ordered stands at 297." He added, "More than 80% of these are believed to be for the replacement of aging aircraft." Of the 191 aircraft ordered before the summit, 43 have been delivered between 2022 and the first half of 2025, while 148 are scheduled for delivery from the second half of 2025 through 2032.
Yang further noted, "Korean Air has announced aircraft purchase contracts totaling around 81 trillion won through five new facility investment disclosures. Typically, the actual investment amount is about 40-50% of the disclosed figure. Even if we assume 50%, this would amount to 40 trillion won, meaning that more than 3 trillion won in CAPEX will be invested annually over 11 years (2022-2032)."
The 103 newly ordered aircraft following the summit are expected to be delivered in the late 2030s. The actual investment is estimated at around 25 trillion won, with an average of about 15 aircraft delivered per year, and deliveries projected to continue from the end of 2030 through around 2045. The end of 2030, after the completion of investments in previously ordered aircraft, is considered the most likely starting point for these deliveries.
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