Korean Air Finalizes Record Order for 103 Boeing Airplanes

Boeing and Korean Air announced on September 16, 2026, that South Korea’s flag carrier finalized its order for 103 jets across Boeing’s widebody and single-aisle airplane family, fulfilling the procurement commitment the airline made in August 2025.

The order comprises 20 777-9, 25 787-10, 50 737-10 and eight 777-8 Freighter airplanes, according to Boeing’s announcement, issued in Seoul. Boeing characterized the finalized order as a tangible outcome of bilateral trade negotiations and said it underscores the enduring strength of the U.S.-Republic of Korea industrial alliance. The order was previously unidentified.

The finalized order was commemorated at an event attended by Korean Air Chairman and CEO Walter Cho, Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Stephanie Pope and CFM International President and CEO Gaël Méheust, alongside senior government and financial leaders including U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Michelle Steel and ROK Minister of Trade, Industry and Resources Kim Jung-kwan.

Also pictured at the event were Hiro Rodriguez, executive director of the DOC Advocacy Center; James Kim, chairman and CEO of AMCHAM Korea; Hwang Ki-yeon, chairman and CEO of the Export-Import Bank of Korea; and Andrew Gately, U.S. Embassy minister-counselor for commercial affairs.

August 2025 Commitment

Boeing and Korean Air first announced the airline’s intent to purchase the 103 airplanes on August 25, 2025, in Washington, saying the aircraft would modernize the carrier’s fleet and support its growth as it fully integrates operations with Asiana Airlines over the next several years. The agreement was signed during the Korea-U.S. Business Roundtable, titled “Partnership for a Manufacturing Renaissance,” and was presided over by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and Kim Jung-kwan, South Korea’s minister of trade, industry and energy.

In Boeing’s August 2025 announcement, the planemaker said the commitment would be the airline’s largest-ever order and Boeing’s largest widebody order from an Asian carrier, and that once finalized it would mark Korean Air’s first order for the 777-8 Freighter. Boeing estimated the deal would support 135,000 jobs across the United States and said the order would be posted to its Orders & Deliveries website once completed.

“Acquiring these next-generation aircraft is the core of our fleet modernization strategy, delivering significant gains in fuel efficiency and enhancing the passenger experience across our global network,” Cho said in the 2025 announcement. He also described the investment as a critical enabler for Korean Air’s future as a merged airline with Asiana.

Pope said Boeing was honored to strengthen its partnership with Korean Air through the landmark agreement. “As Korean Air transitions to a larger unified carrier, we are committed to supporting the airline’s growth with one of the world’s most efficient fleets,” she said.

The U.S. Department of Commerce described the August 2025 signing as a $50 billion commercial deal for 103 Boeing aircraft powered by GE Aerospace (GE ) engines, with over $33 billion in U.S. export content and support for over 135,000 jobs across the United States. According to the department, the 777-9, 777-8 Freighter and 787-10 Dreamliner are powered by GE9X and GEnx engines, while the 737 MAX 10 is powered by LEAP-1B engines from CFM International, a GE Aerospace joint venture. Lutnick said the agreement was another example of economic prosperity driven by President Trump’s America First Trade Policy, and Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade William Kimmitt said the deal further strengthens economic ties between the two countries.

Boeing said Korean Air’s orders and commitments for its airplanes in 2025 surpassed 150 units following the airline’s incremental order in March 2025 for 20 777-9s and 20 787-10s. The Commerce Department said the 103-aircraft commitment followed Korean Air’s purchase of up to 50 planes in March 2025 and brought the airline’s total Boeing orders for the year to over 150 airplanes.

At the time of the commitment, Korean Air operated 108 Boeing airplanes, including 737s, 747s, 777s and 787s, with 72 Boeing jets on order; Boeing said the carrier’s order book would grow to 175 airplanes once the deal was finalized. Korean Air’s Aerospace Division supplies components for the 787 Dreamliner, including its raked wingtip, and produces parts for the 737 MAX, 767 and 777 families, according to the 2025 announcement.

Aircraft on Order

Boeing’s 2025 announcement listed performance figures for each ordered model. The company said the 777-9 can seat 426 passengers in a two-class configuration with a range of 13,510 kilometers (7,295 nautical miles) and will reduce fuel use and emissions by 20% compared to the airplanes it will replace, while the 787-10 can carry up to 336 passengers with a range of 11,730 kilometers (6,330 nautical miles).

The 737-10, the largest model in the 737 MAX family, can carry as many as 230 passengers with a range of up to 5,740 kilometers (3,100 nautical miles) while reducing fuel use and emissions by 20% compared to the airplanes it replaces; Boeing said the jet’s efficiency and flexibility will enable Korean Air to serve more passengers on more routes with the lowest cost per seat of any single-aisle airplane. Boeing said the 777-8 Freighter will be the world’s largest and most capable twin-engine freighter, offering the highest payload and lowest operating cost per tonne of any large freighter and 30% better fuel efficiency and emissions than the airplanes it will replace.