Korean Air is betting big on Boeing with a $36 billion purchase order.
On Tuesday, the South Korean flag carrier announced that it would purchase 103 Boeing aircraft, which will be delivered by the end of 2030.
The order includes 20 Boeing 777-9s, 25 Boeing 787-10s, 50 Boeing 737-10s, and eight Boeing 777-8F freighters, per Korean Air’s press release. The order was made official in a signing ceremony on Monday in Washington, D.C.
The purchase is valued at $36.2 billion, or about 70 trillion South Korean won.
“Korean Air’s commitment will be the airline’s largest-ever order and Boeing’s largest widebody order from an Asian carrier,” Boeing’s press release on Monday said. It added that the order would support an estimated 135,000 jobs across the US.
Korean Air CEO Walter Cho and Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Stephanie Pope attended the signing ceremony in Washington, D.C. Other notable guests included the US Commerce Secretary, Howard Lutnick.
Cho, who is also the CEO of Korean Air’s parent company, Hanjin Group, told Reuters on Monday that the massive order would help Korean Air expand to more destinations in the US, Latin America, and South America.
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Besides the $36.2 billion deal with Boeing, Korean Air signed a $690 million deal with engine manufacturers GE Aerospace and CFM International, for 19 spare engines. It also bought a $13 billion, 20-year-long engine maintenance service contract from GE Aerospace.
The order comes as Boeing ramps up its efforts to turn the business around after several quarters of weak performance. In July, it reported sales of $22.7 billion in the second quarter of 2025, a 35% increase from the same period in 2024.
The massive purchase also comes after Korean Air acquired Asiana Airlines, its South Korean competitor, last year.
“This investment is also a critical enabler for our future as a merged airline with Asiana, to ensure that our combined carrier is one of the most competitive airlines in the industry,” Cho said in Boeing’s press release.
