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Korean Air ramps up employee-level initiatives with Asiana Airlines ahead of carriers’ merger
May 8th 2026
As Korean Air (KAL) and Asiana Airlines move toward integration, the two carriers have been joining forces in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) volunteer initiatives. Read More » The latest example of this approach is the celebration of Children’s Day by hosting a joint aviation education program at the National Aviation Museum of Korea in Seoul, which inspires youth to explore careers in aviation. “Korean Air and Asiana Airlines will continue to advance joint community programs that create meaningful public engagement while building synergy ahead of their integration,” the carriers declared.
The fact that KAL initiatives involve engagement with Asiana Airlines peers is no coincidence but part of the broader plan, The Korea Times reported. KAL has begun what it calls the “journey together” initiative, placing trust and communication at the center of its efforts to build a cohesive and healthy organizational culture ahead of its long-awaited integration with Asiana Airlines. The campaign is part of KAL’s broader corporate values framework, KE Way, which was unveiled in March last year. Grounded in people-centered management, the initiative aims to foster sustainable relationships not only with customers but also with employees and business partners.
As the company moves closer to its full-scale merger with Asiana Airlines, Korean Air has been rolling out a range of programs to bridge cultural gaps and promote unity between the two workforces. The SkyTeam carrier is particularly expanding opportunities for informal interaction through family-invited events and joint social contribution programs. Another field of reform is the internal communication channels - KAL and Asiana have jointly conducted surveys and organizational culture assessments to ensure that policies are not merely procedural, but embedded in daily practice. In February, Korean Air revamped Communication Plaza, its anonymous internal bulletin board, to encourage constructive dialogue. The updated system enables quicker and clearer responses from relevant departments, reinforcing two-way communication.
A key pillar of the integration has been co-location. Since March last year, Korean Air has been introducing shared workspaces across several divisions, including maintenance, safety strategy, and public relations. The company expects that daily interaction and collaboration in shared environments will help shape a unified culture organically.
In the operational integration field, in January, Korean Air opened a joint crew briefing center at Incheon International Airport’s Terminal 2, so pilots and cabin crew from both airlines can prepare for flights and use shared facilities. The airline has also launched KE Wiki, an internal platform to standardize the terminology used by both companies, and a multilingual integration portal to keep global employees informed of ongoing changes.
The importance of these initiatives has been highlighted by Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Won-tae in his 2026 New Year’s address. He said this year should be treated not as a preparatory phase but as a period of full integration, urging employees to embrace openness and adapt naturally ahead of the official merger.
The internal survey results, released in January, showed that around 57% of 15,900 respondents expressed a positive outlook on the merger, with overall readiness deemed “stable”. Employees highlighted the need for greater transparency and timely information sharing to ensure psychological stability during the transition. KAL told The Korea Times the findings are an “important milestone” and pledged to continue listening to employees. “Through these efforts, Korean Air aims to build a unified, trust-based culture with Asiana Airlines and position itself as one of the world’s most respected carriers,” KAL said.
