Asiana Airlines facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Asiana Airlines
아시아나항공
Asiana Hanggong

Founded	17 February 1988; 37 years ago (1988-02-17) (as Seoul Airlines)
Commenced operations	23 December 1988; 36 years ago (1988-12-23)
Hubs	Seoul–Gimpo Seoul–Incheon
Focus cities	Jeju
Frequent-flyer program	Asiana Club
Alliance	Star Alliance
Subsidiaries	Air Busan Air Seoul Asiana Airport Asiana Cargo Asiana IDT Asiana Sabre Kumho Resort
Fleet size	81
Destinations	78
Parent company	Kumho Asiana Group (1988–2020) Korea Development Bank (2020–2024) Korean Air (63.9%) (2024–present)
Headquarters	Osoe-dong, Gangseo District, Seoul, South Korea
Key people	Won Yoo-seok (president & CEO)
Revenue	₩5,552 billion (2015)
Employees	10,380 (2015)

Asiana Airlines Inc. is a major airline from South Korea. Its main office is in Seoul. The airline flies to many places around the world. It has about 90 international routes and 14 routes within South Korea. It also carries cargo on 27 routes.

In 2019, Asiana Airlines handled a quarter of all international flights in South Korea. It also managed 20% of flights within the country. Its main international airport is Incheon International Airport. For domestic flights, its main airport is Gimpo International Airport, both in Seoul.

Asiana Airlines is part of a group called Star Alliance. This is a big network of airlines that work together. Asiana also has two smaller airlines that offer cheaper flights: Air Busan and Air Seoul. Asiana Airlines owns a large part of Air Busan. Air Seoul is fully owned by Asiana.

History of Asiana Airlines

How Asiana Started

Before Asiana, Korean Air was the only big airline in South Korea. It was owned by a company called Hanjin Transportation since 1969. Other large Korean companies, known as chaebols, wanted to compete. So, Asiana Airlines was created.

The Kumho Asiana Group started Asiana Airlines. It was first called Seoul Air International. Asiana began on February 17, 1988. Its first flights started in December 1988, going to Busan.

First Flights and Growth

Asiana began flying in December 1988. It used Boeing 737 Classic planes. Its first destinations were Busan and Gwangju. In 1989, Asiana added regular flights to Jeju City, Gwangju, and Daegu. Later that year, it started international charter flights to Sendai, Japan.

In 1990, Asiana began its first regular international flights. These went to Japanese cities like Tokyo, Nagoya, Sendai, and Fukuoka. By early 1991, Asiana flew to Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taipei. Flights across the Pacific Ocean to Los Angeles started in December 1991. Asiana used a Boeing 747-400 Combi for these long flights. By the mid-1990s, flights to Vienna, Brussels, and Honolulu also began. In 1993, Asiana started flying to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.

Becoming a Global Airline

Asiana Airlines grew quickly after it started in 1988. It became a medium-sized global airline. By 2004, its fleet had 85 aircraft. In December 1998, the airline flew the president of South Korea for the first time.

On January 28, 2003, Asiana joined Star Alliance. This helped it connect to more places around the world. In 2004, the airline added Airbus A330 and Boeing 777-200ER planes. It also added more routes to mainland China. Asiana now flies to 71 cities in 23 countries. It also has a cargo division called Asiana Cargo.

New Look for the Airline

In February 2006, Asiana Airlines updated its look. This was to match other parts of its parent company, the Kumho Asiana Group. The names of the travel classes changed. First, business, and economy classes became first, business, and travel classes. The colors for these classes also changed to yellow, blue, and red. New uniforms were also designed for the flight crew.

Financial Challenges

In April 2019, Kumho Asiana Group, the company that owned Asiana Airlines, decided to sell the airline. This was to help with its financial problems. The sale process started in July 2019. Several companies showed interest in buying Asiana.

Asiana Airlines stopped flying on some routes that were not making money. These included flights from Seoul–Incheon to places like Chicago–O'Hare and Delhi.

In July 2020, the plan for HDC Hyundai Development Company to buy Asiana Airlines was canceled. This happened because of problems with the deal. Asiana Airlines was then managed by its lenders until a new owner could be found.

Joining Korean Air

In November 2020, the South Korean government announced a plan. It wanted to merge Asiana Airlines with Korean Air. Korean Air would buy a large part of Asiana Airlines. The two airlines were planned to operate separately at first. Then, they would combine completely.

The government also planned to combine the low-cost airlines. These included Air Busan, Air Seoul, and Jin Air. They would form a new low-cost airline. This new airline would focus on flights within South Korea and to nearby Asian countries.

In March 2021, Korean Air said the merger would be delayed. This was because they needed approval from several countries. By December 2024, all 14 countries had approved the merger.

On December 12, 2024, Korean Air officially bought Asiana Airlines. This deal was worth about 1.5 trillion won (about US$1.6 billion). Korean Air now owns 63.88% of Asiana. This merger made the combined airline the 12th largest in the world for international flights.

After the Merger: Changes and Future Plans

After the merger in December 2024, Asiana Airlines quietly changed its brand look. It removed the "red arrow" design that belonged to its former owner, Kumho Asiana Group. The new design uses the aircraft tail instead. The Kumho Asiana Group logo was also removed from the planes.

The names and looks of both Korean Air and Asiana Airlines will stay separate for now. This is until the full merger is complete. Many steps will happen during this time. A new CEO and other leaders will be chosen. The low-cost airlines, Jin Air, Air Busan, and Air Seoul, will also combine. Asiana Airlines is expected to fully join Korean Air by the end of 2026. This means Asiana will stop operating as a separate airline after 38 years.

Where Asiana is Based

Asiana Airlines has its main office in Seoul. It is located in a place called Asiana Town. This is in the Gangseo District of Seoul. The airline's main office moved to Asiana Town on April 1, 1998.

Places Asiana Flies To

Asiana Airlines flies to many places on five continents. It has a strong network in Asia. This includes important cities in China, Japan, Southeast Asia, and Central Asia. The airline also flies to several major cities in North America and Europe. It has some flights to Oceania as well. Asiana Cargo, the airline's freight company, also has a large network.

In November 2016, Asiana decided to start Air Seoul. This is its second low-cost airline. It is based at Incheon International Airport. Asiana transferred some flights that were not making money to Air Seoul.

Airlines Asiana Works With

Asiana Airlines works with many other airlines. This is called a codeshare agreement. It means you can book a flight with Asiana, but actually fly on a plane from one of these partner airlines.

Asiana's Aircraft Fleet

Current Aircraft

As of July 2025, Asiana Airlines uses these types of aircraft:

Gallery

• Asiana Airlines current fleet
• 

  Airbus A321-200

• 

  Airbus A321neo

• 

  Airbus A330-300

• 

  Airbus A350-900

• 

  Airbus A380-800

• 

  Boeing 777-200ER

Retired Aircraft

Asiana Airlines has used these aircraft in the past:

Services on Board

Travel Classes

Economy class cabin on an Airbus A380-800 upper deck

The Asiana Lounge Central at Incheon International Airport

Asiana Airlines offers different types of seating and services. These include First Suite Class, First Class, Business Smartium Class, Business Class, and Travel (economy) Class. What you get depends on the type of plane and where it's flying.

First Suite Class is available on the Airbus A380-800 planes. These planes fly to cities like Los Angeles, New York City, Sydney, and Frankfurt. Passengers in these top classes get special items like pajamas and amenity kits. They can also order their meals before the flight. These seats have personal entertainment systems.

Most of Asiana's international flights offer two main classes: Business Smartium Class or Business Class, and Travel Class. Some shorter international flights and charter flights have only one class. All domestic flights also have one class. Many of Asiana's Travel class seats have screens for movies or videos.

Magazines on Board

Asiana offers two magazines for passengers. One is called Asiana, which is a travel magazine. The other is Asiana Entertainment.

Frequent Flyer Program

Asiana Club is the airline's program for frequent flyers. It used to be called Asiana Bonus Club. Members can earn miles when they fly with Asiana Airlines or other Star Alliance airlines. They can also earn miles with partner airlines like Qatar Airways. These miles can be used for free tickets, upgrades to a higher class, or other services.

Partnerships

Asiana Airlines works with several famous people and groups. These partnerships help promote the airline.

• Park Ji-Sung – a famous soccer player
• K. J. Choi – a professional golfer
• Yang Yong-eun – a professional golfer
• Chan-Ho Park – a former baseball pitcher
• YG Entertainment – a music and talent company
• JYP Entertainment – a music and talent company
• KBS Symphony Orchestra
• Korea National Ballet

Safety and Incidents

Airlines work hard to be safe, but sometimes incidents happen. Here are some past events involving Asiana Airlines:

• On July 26, 1993, an Asiana Airlines Boeing 737-500 had an incident near Mokpo Airport in bad weather.
• On November 11, 1998, an Asiana Airlines Boeing 747-400 had a small collision with another plane at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport while turning. No one was hurt.
• On June 9, 2006, Asiana Airlines Flight 8942, an Airbus A321-131, flew through hail near Gimpo Airport. The front of the plane was damaged, but no one was injured.
• On July 28, 2011, Asiana Airlines Cargo Flight 991, a Boeing 747-400F cargo plane, had a fire in its cargo area and crashed into the East China Sea.
• On July 6, 2013, Asiana Airlines Flight 214, a Boeing 777-200ER, had an incident while landing at San Francisco International Airport.
• On April 14, 2015, Asiana Airlines Flight 162, an Airbus A320, had a hard landing at Hiroshima Airport in Japan. More than 20 people were injured.
• On April 9, 2019, Asiana Airlines Flight 8703, an Airbus A320-232, had a nose gear issue upon landing at Gwangju Airport.
• On May 26, 2023, a passenger opened an emergency exit on Asiana Airlines Flight 8124, an Airbus A321-200, as it was approaching Daegu International Airport. The plane landed safely, but some people were taken to the hospital.

See also

In Spanish: Asiana Airlines para niños

• Transport in South Korea
• List of companies of South Korea
• List of airlines of South Korea
• List of airports in South Korea
• List of Asian airline holding companies