Korean Air, Asiana seek merger-remedy relief as KFTC examiners recommend rejection
( September 10, 2026, 06:12 GMT | Official Statement) -- MLex Summary: Korean Air, Asiana Airlines and three affiliated carriers face fresh proceedings before South Korea’s antitrust regulator over requests to ease merger-related seat-capacity obligations, while Korean Air separately faces allegations that it obstructed the regulator’s investigation. According to the Korea Fair Trade Commission, examiner reports delivered to the companies on Thursday recommended rejecting both requests, including one seeking to lower the required capacity on the Cheongju-Jeju route and another seeking broader relief for 2026 because of the Middle East war, higher oil prices and exchange rates and weaker passenger demand. The examiners also recommended criminal referrals of Korean Air and three employees after concluding that the employees deleted work files and emails during an onsite inspection of the airline’s headquarters in February. The recommendations are not final and will be decided by the full commission after deliberations.Statement is attached (in Korean)....
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