On March 26, 2026, Korean Air (KE) announced plans to invest in its fleet for more than 100 Boeing aircraft, with a handful of freighter options included in the deal.
What’s the Deal about?
According to Reuters, the board approved this deal to secure the delivery slots in advance as part of its long-term fleet development strategy. The order is valued at $36.2 billion based on 2025 list prices and the order book spans deliveries between now and 2039.
In this deal, the board has planned to secure 20 B777-9s, 25 B787-10s, 50 B737-10s and eight B777-8F freighters, for a total of 103 aircraft.
The board has also authorised the purchase of 21 spare engines across different OEMs. With General Electric, the order includes six GE9X engines which power the B777s and five GEnx-1B units for the B787s. With CFM International, a joint venture between GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines, 10 LEAP-1B engines for the B737s are scheduled to be delivered through April 2039.
Initial Order Placement vs Now
Earlier in August 2025, Korean Air had first committed to the B777-8F freighters, with the airline signalling at the time that orders would eventually expand into B777, B787 and B737 families.
As of April 2026, according to ch-aviation data, Korean Air operates a total of 163 aircraft with a mixed fleet of both Airbus and Boeing ranging from narrowbodies and widebodies to cargo aircraft. With this latest deal, Korean Air is expanding its footprint as it absorbs Asiana Airlines and reshapes itself into a more competitive flag carrier.
The fleet expansion follows a strong year for the carrier, which received six Gold Awards at the 2025 Travel Weekly Magellan Awards across cabin, dining, and digital categories.
Is this the right move for Korean Air’s future? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.
