Korean Air Announces New Livery

Korean Air has announced its brand refresh for the first time since the 1980s, marking the commencement of a new era.

The long rumoured livery redesign and brand refresh will see Korean Air attempt to align itself with other global competitors and elevate the brand to new heights.

The revised livery, at its core, looks to stick with what people know and love about the previous branding, which has been present for multiple decades, but it incorporates several refreshes.

Korean Air’s most significant change is its Taegeuk symbol, which has been modernised and freshened up to a more contemporary aesthetic.

Previously led by a more bold red and blue colour scheme, the Taegeuk now has undergone a significant refresh to a standalone and transparent colour. As a result, these changes have dramatically reduced its overall noticeability on the tail.

The Seoul-based carrier firmly believes the new livery will better align itself with current modern trends, and the branding will focus more on minimalism.

Korean Air will still keep the iconic blue scheme across its livery, however, it is incorporating and running with a darker blue for the Taegeuk and airline titles spread across the front of the aircraft while keeping the underbelly and engines white.

The new livery will debut on the Boeing 787-10 with this aircraft to operate its first service under the revised branding on March 12, 2025 from Seoul Incheon through Tokyo Narita.

Given that this rebranding has been unveiled, there will be further announcements about the airline’s image and its implementation across airports and on aircraft.

Korean Air To Takeover Asiana Airlines

A livery refresh at Korean Air has been speculated about for half a decade. However, speculation died down following the global pandemic but has seemingly returned with the firm announcement.

For Korean Air, the rebrand comes at a pivotal point in its business, not just because it’s a new era focused on modernising and being a minimalist, but also because of an ongoing takeover of fellow South Korean carrier Asiana Airlines.

After receiving the necessary approval, these two airlines continue progressing with a landmark deal to create a global airline for the ages. The South Korean scene is being consolidated quite dramatically.

Korean Air will take on many Asiana Airlines aircraft, with the latter’s brand to disappear in the coming years. Other low-cost units will also be consolidated and benefit from the transaction that has been many years in the making.

Given the importance of this deal, Korean Air knows its role in the industry is expected to grow, representing the change of a generation. Revised branding is seen as a fundamental requirement to accompany this change.