Japan Airlines (JAL) and Korean Air have signed a memorandum of understanding on a strategic partnership and issued a joint declaration.
Following Korean Air’s integration with Asiana Airlines on December 17, the two airlines will expand and strengthen their existing partnerships—including codeshare flights and mileage program cooperation—to cover flights operated by Asiana Airlines. They also plan to promote collaboration beyond the scope of conventional airline business and advance initiatives that contribute to improving sustainability in the aviation sector.
Ross Leggett, Senior Vice President and Executive Officer at JAL, and Choi Jeong-ho, Vice President of Korean Air, signed the agreement and celebrated the partnership by flying paper airplanes bearing the two companies’ logos.
The relationship between the two airlines dates back to the early 1960s. When Korean Air began civil aviation operations, JAL provided technical expertise and operational know-how. At the time, diplomatic relations between Japan and South Korea had not yet been normalized, making it difficult to conclude an intergovernmental air services agreement. In April 1963, the two airlines signed the “Agreement on the Basic Framework for Cooperation Between Japan Airlines and Korean Air.” In 1964, Japan–South Korea joint operations were realized in the unusual form of both governments approving the agreement between the airlines. JAL launched the Tokyo–Seoul route, while Korean Air launched the Seoul–Osaka route, laying the foundation for today’s Japan–South Korea air routes.
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