Asiana Airlines has been fined 12.1 billion won ($8.7 million) by South Korea's Fair Trade Commission (FTC) for breaching conditions set during its merger with Korean Air. This is the largest penalty imposed in South Korea for a merger violation since 1991.
The FTC stated that both airlines, which received final approval for their merger on December 12, 2024, violated the agreement in less than a year by raising average ticket prices beyond permitted levels. The cap, established during the merger review process, restricted fare increases to no more than 2019 levels adjusted for inflation.
According to the commission, Asiana Airlines raised ticket prices above the approved cap on four routes in the first quarter of 2025. The most significant increase was on business class fares between Seoul Incheon International Airport and Barcelona El Prat Airport, where prices rose by 28.2% over the allowed limit. Business class fares between Incheon and Frankfurt exceeded the cap by 12.5%, while those to Rome Fiumicino were up by 8.4%. Economy class fares from Incheon to Rome rose by 2.9%, and domestic economy fares on the Gwangju–Jeju route increased by 1.3%, all surpassing regulatory thresholds.
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