Korean Air officially orders 103 Boeing aircraft, with the order valued at approximately US$36.2 billion

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On September 16, Boeing and Korean Air announced that Korean Air had officially confirmed an order for 103 Boeing aircraft, including 20 777-9s, 25 787-10s, 50 737-10s, and 8 777-8F freighters. The order fulfills the purchase commitment signed by the two parties in August 2025. Based on the 2025 list prices previously disclosed by Korean Air to regulators, the total value of the 103 aircraft is approximately US$36.2 billion.

This formal order and the August 2025 purchase intent concern the same batch of aircraft. On August 25, 2025, Korean Air signed a purchase commitment with Boeing, at which time it explicitly planned to introduce 20 777-9s, 25 787-10s, 50 737-10s, and 8 777-8Fs; Boeing stated at the time that the aircraft would enter Boeing's order and delivery system only after a formal order was completed. The September 16 announcement marks the conversion of these 103 aircraft from a purchase commitment into a formal order.

Korean Air previously disclosed that this batch of aircraft would be introduced successively between 2026 and 2039. Among them, the 777-9 and 787-10 will mainly serve medium- and long-haul passenger routes, the 737-10 will be used on single-aisle routes, and the 777-8F will be used to renew the cargo fleet. The 777-8F is also the first aircraft type that Korean Air has formally ordered.

According to Boeing's published aircraft specifications, the 777-9 can carry 426 passengers in a two-class layout, with a range of approximately 13,510 kilometers; the 787-10 can carry up to 336 passengers, with a range of approximately 11,730 kilometers; and the 737-10 can carry up to 230 passengers, with a range of approximately 5,740 kilometers. The 777-8F is part of Boeing's new generation of large twin-engine freighters and is mainly aimed at the long-haul cargo market.

This order will also expand Korean Air's existing Boeing fleet. When the purchase commitment was announced in August 2025, Korean Air operated 108 Boeing aircraft and already had 72 Boeing aircraft on order; Boeing estimated at the time that after the 103-aircraft order was confirmed, Korean Air's Boeing order backlog would increase to 175 aircraft. During 2025, Korean Air's Boeing aircraft orders and purchase commitments exceeded 150 aircraft, including an additional order in March 2025 for 20 777-9s and 20 787-10s.

This batch of 103 aircraft is also part of Korean Air's long-term fleet renewal plan following its integration of Asiana Airlines. When Korean Air announced the procurement arrangement in 2025, it stated that its future fleet would gradually be concentrated on major aircraft types such as the Boeing 777, 787, and 737, as well as the Airbus A350 and A321neo. Korean Air also disclosed in August 2025 that the 103 new aircraft were planned to continue being delivered into the late 2030s.

In addition to aircraft procurement, Korean Air had also simultaneously advanced engine procurement and long-term maintenance arrangements, including the purchase of 19 spare engines from GE Aerospace and CFM International, together with supporting long-term engine maintenance services. This part constitutes an engine and maintenance contract separate from the 103 Boeing aircraft.