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Photo = Korean Air |
[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] SEOUL, Aug. 7 (Alpha Biz) — Korean Air’s plan to deploy Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with a denser economy class layout (from 3-3-3 to 3-4-3) starting in September is facing regulatory limitations.
The airline will not be allowed to operate the remodeled aircraft on 40 major domestic and international routes, including those to Los Angeles, New York, Rome, China, Japan, and Jeju, due to antitrust measures imposed by South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) during its approval of the airline’s merger with Asiana Airlines.
Korean Air recently announced it will retrofit 11 Boeing 777-300ERs, its main long-haul fleet, replacing the current 3-3-3 economy seat configuration with a more compact 3-4-3 layout and introducing a new premium economy class priced roughly 10% higher than standard economy. The first of these upgraded aircraft is scheduled for deployment on short- and mid-haul routes starting mid-September.
However, under behavioral remedies outlined by the KFTC, these aircraft cannot be operated on 40 designated routes—26 international and 14 domestic—where overlapping operations with Asiana previously raised concerns about reduced competition and potential consumer harm.
The KFTC’s 2022 conditional approval of the Korean Air-Asiana merger stipulated that the airline maintain pre-2019 service levels, including seat pitch, until the end of 2034. The measures also prohibit fare hikes, reduction in seat supply, and deterioration in service quality on the 40 flagged routes.
Korean Air stated that it remains committed to full compliance with the KFTC’s conditions and will ensure that the updated aircraft are only deployed on permitted routes.
AlphaBIZ Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
