TOKYO— Japan Airlines (JAL) has acquired an undisclosed stake in Hanjin KAL, the holding company of Korean Air, marking its first known investment in a foreign airline group and setting the stage for a broader strategic partnership.
The move comes as Korean Air prepares to complete its integration with Asiana Airlines and expand its presence across the Japan–South Korea market.
Japan Airlines (JAL) and Korean Air (KE) announced the partnership in Tokyo on September 3, building on more than six decades of cooperation between the two carriers.
The expanded agreement will cover passenger and cargo operations, while Korea–Japan codeshare opportunities are expected to grow significantly following the Asiana integration.
JAL Expands Korean Partnership Further
The investment gives JAL a closer commercial relationship with Korean Air despite the carriers belonging to different global alliances.
Korean Air is a SkyTeam member, while JAL belongs to oneworld and maintains major transpacific cooperation with American Airlines.
The size and purchase price of JAL’s Hanjin KAL stake have not been disclosed.
JAL described the investment as an independent decision based on Hanjin KAL’s long-term market value, while industry observers have linked the timing to the shareholder contest surrounding Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Won-tae.
Hoban Group increased its Hanjin KAL holding to 20.15% in July, narrowing the gap with Cho and related parties to about 0.41 percentage points.
The development has increased attention on the company’s shareholder structure, although JAL has not publicly confirmed that its investment is intended to influence the management dispute.
Codeshare Network Expands Across Asia
The commercial focus of the new partnership will be the high-demand Japan–South Korea market.
Korean Air currently operates about 250 weekly flights on Japan routes, with the total expected to rise to roughly 400 after its December integration with Asiana Airlines.
The additional Asiana-operated Japan routes are expected to create more opportunities for codesharing and mileage cooperation between JAL and Korean Air.
The carriers already have a long-standing codeshare relationship covering routes between Japan and South Korea.
Beyond passenger services, the airlines plan to deepen cooperation in cargo operations and explore shared use of cargo terminals. They will also consider ground-handling cooperation, employee exchanges and mutual access to cabin-crew training facilities.
New Aviation Ventures Beyond Airlines
JAL and Korean Air will establish a joint task force to identify additional business opportunities outside traditional airline operations.
Areas under consideration include aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul, sustainable aviation fuel and urban air mobility.
The companies also plan to explore investment opportunities in aviation-related startups as they seek technologies and business models that can strengthen their long-term competitiveness.
The cooperation could therefore extend beyond flights and frequent-flyer programs into wider aviation services.
The strategic partnership does not mean either airline is leaving its existing global alliance. Instead, the agreement creates a separate bilateral framework that allows the carriers to cooperate while retaining their respective SkyTeam and oneworld positions, One Mile At A Time reported.
For passengers, the most visible impact is likely to come from expanded codeshare and mileage options between Japan and South Korea.
For both airlines, the partnership provides a way to capture additional passenger and cargo flows as Korean Air builds a larger network following the Asiana integration.
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