[Alpha Biz=(Chicago) Reporter Kim Jisun] A court ruled that Asiana Airlines should pay a large amount of unpaid in-flight meals to LSG Sky Chef Korea (LSG), which had a contract dispute.

The Civil Affairs Agreement Department 41 (The senior judge Chung Hoe-il) at the Seoul Central District Court on the 17th ruled partially in favor of the plaintiff in a lawsuit filed by LSG against Asiana Airlines, saying, "The defendant should pay the plaintiff some KRW 18.27 billion."

The court rejected a countersuit worth some 74.22 billion won filed by Asiana Airlines. In addition, Asiana Airlines was asked to pay for all litigation costs.

Previously, Asiana Airlines signed a contract with LSG to supply in-flight meals every five years since 2003 and changed its operator to Gate Gourmet Korea (GGK) in 2017.

China's Hainan Airlines Group, which includes GGK, which signed a new in-flight meal supply contract with Asiana Airlines at the time, was found to have bought KRW 160 billion worth of BW issued by Kumho Holdings without interest.

Asiana Airlines, on the other hand, countered that the contract expired in June 2018 and that the contract was terminated and replaced with another company with an advantageous contract condition. In response, LSG filed a lawsuit in May 2018 to compensate for the damages caused by the termination of the unfair contract, and in January of the following year, it also filed a lawsuit asking for overdue in-flight meal payments.

 

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