Air Seoul
Air Seoul is a South Korean low-cost carrier established and wholly owned by Asiana Airlines, operating primarily international services from Incheon International Airport.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Air Seoul is a South Korean low-cost airline created by Asiana Airlines to establish a stronger Seoul-based presence in the country’s expanding low-cost-carrier market. Asiana had previously supported Air Busan, but that airline was based in Busan and therefore did not directly address the competitive gap in the Seoul market. Air Seoul was designed to complement Asiana’s network by serving short- and medium-haul international destinations, particularly secondary cities in Japan and other Asian markets that could be operated efficiently with narrow-body aircraft. The airline was formally established on 7 April 2015. It received its air operator’s certificate from South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in July 2016, after conducting domestic trial flights. Commercial operations began on 11 July 2016 with services between Gimpo and Jeju. International operations followed in October 2016, initially focusing on Japan. Over time, Air Seoul expanded into additional destinations in East Asia and Southeast Asia and increasingly concentrated on international flying rather than domestic services. Incheon International Airport became its principal operating base. Air Seoul’s operating model is based on the low-cost-carrier formula: a relatively simple fare structure, high utilization of narrow-body aircraft, and separate pricing for selected ancillary services such as checked baggage, meals, seat-related options, and other travel extras. Its fleet has centered on Airbus A321-family aircraft, a type suited to dense regional routes and destinations within a few hours’ flying time of South Korea. The carrier’s customer base includes leisure travelers, price-sensitive business travelers, and passengers visiting friends and relatives across Japan and Southeast Asia. Although Air Seoul has a distinct brand, product structure, and route strategy, it has remained closely linked to Asiana Airlines through ownership and corporate infrastructure. That relationship has provided access to the larger airline group’s aviation expertise and Seoul-area operating base while allowing Air Seoul to compete separately against Korean low-cost carriers such as Jeju Air, Jin Air, and T’way Air. The brand has also used Seoul-focused content and onboard media to support destination marketing and reinforce its identity as an airline based in the capital. The COVID-19 pandemic and associated border controls disrupted Air Seoul’s international operations, as they did those of airlines throughout the region. Following the recovery of international travel, the carrier restored and adjusted capacity across its Asian network. According to the cited Wikipedia reference, Air Seoul reported revenue of 310.9 billion won and operating profit of 64.4 billion won in 2023, described as its strongest performance to that point. These figures should be read with the stated year and source context rather than treated as current results. Air Seoul’s longer-term corporate position is connected to the integration of Asiana Airlines into Korean Air. Publicly described plans have contemplated integrating Air Seoul and Air Busan into Jin Air, Korean Air’s low-cost subsidiary. The timing, structure, and effect of any such integration may change, so the brand’s current ownership, route network, fleet, and independent operating status require verification against the latest regulatory and corporate disclosures.
History
Asiana Airlines began considering a second low-cost-carrier platform in addition to Air Busan in the early 2010s. Air Busan’s base in Busan gave it a different geographic focus, while competitors including Jin Air and Jeju Air had stronger positions in the Seoul market. Air Seoul was conceived to address that gap and to improve Asiana’s ability to serve selected short- and medium-haul markets, including secondary Japanese cities. The project was also shaped by the need to distinguish the new carrier from Air Busan, in which Asiana held a minority interest, whereas Air Seoul was established under Asiana’s control. Air Seoul was formally incorporated on 7 April 2015. During its preparation period, the airline arranged aircraft, operating procedures, route permissions, staffing, and regulatory certification. It conducted trial flights within South Korea in June 2016. On 5 July 2016, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport granted the carrier an air operator’s certificate. Air Seoul began commercial operations on 11 July 2016 with domestic flights between Gimpo and Jeju. International flying began in October 2016, with Japan becoming a major early market. The airline subsequently developed a network covering selected destinations in East Asia and Southeast Asia and moved toward a primarily, and later effectively purely, international operating profile. The carrier’s fleet strategy has centered on Airbus A321-family narrow-body aircraft. The type offers a combination of passenger capacity and range appropriate for regional Asian services, enabling Air Seoul to operate dense routes without the larger aircraft used by its parent airline on longer-haul markets. Its product has followed the standard low-cost-carrier structure, with a base transportation fare supplemented by optional charges or purchases for services such as checked baggage and onboard food. Air Seoul has also invested in brand-oriented onboard content. In 2016 it collaborated with Naver WEBTOON on a safety video, and in 2019 it worked with Naver WEBTOON’s LICO on a 3D animated safety video. The carrier introduced the Your Seoul inflight magazine in 2017 to promote attractions in its home city and launched Cinema in the Sky in 2019 as an inflight entertainment service. These initiatives gave the airline a more recognizable cultural identity than a purely functional low-cost product. Management changed during the airline’s early development. Ryu Kwang-hee became chief executive in January 2018, while later references identify Cho Kyu-yung as being replaced in a 2021 leadership change and Cho Jin-man as chief executive in the company’s corporate information. Exact appointment and departure dates for all executives should be checked against company records. The COVID-19 crisis severely affected Air Seoul because its business depended heavily on international travel. Border controls, reduced demand, and temporary route suspensions forced the carrier to adjust capacity and network planning. As Asian travel recovered, it resumed and reshaped international services. The cited reference reports 2023 revenue of 310.9 billion won and operating profit of 64.4 billion won, describing the result as the airline’s best performance and its highest operating margin among domestic airlines at that time. Air Seoul’s future is linked to the corporate integration of Asiana Airlines into Korean Air. Publicly described plans have included bringing Air Seoul and Air Busan into Jin Air, Korean Air’s low-cost subsidiary. Whether this produces a full legal merger, a brand consolidation, or another operating arrangement depends on final corporate decisions and regulatory approvals. Consequently, historical descriptions of Air Seoul as a wholly owned Asiana subsidiary may not fully describe its eventual post-integration structure.
- 2023
Record financial performance reported
[1]The airline reports 310.9 billion won in revenue and 64.4 billion won in operating profit for 2023.
- 2019
3D animated safety video released
[1]Air Seoul and LICO introduce a 3D animated onboard safety video based on a LICO character.
- 2019
Cinema in the Sky launched
[1]Air Seoul adds a branded inflight entertainment service to its passenger offering.
- 2018
Passenger traffic expands
[1]Air Seoul carries about 1.7 million passengers during the year, according to the cited reference.
- 2017
Your Seoul inflight magazine introduced
[1]The airline launches an inflight publication promoting Seoul tourism and attractions.
- 2016
Air operator’s certificate granted
[1]South Korea’s transport ministry grants Air Seoul the certification required to conduct commercial air services.
- 2016
Commercial operations begin
[1]Air Seoul begins flying on the Gimpo–Jeju route in July and starts international services to Japan in October.
- 2015
Air Seoul is established
[1]Asiana Airlines formally establishes Air Seoul as a Seoul-focused low-cost-carrier subsidiary.
Products and positioning
A Seoul-based South Korean low-cost carrier focused on affordable international travel within East and Southeast Asia.
Passenger airline services · 2016
Scheduled international passenger flights
Air Seoul’s core product is scheduled passenger transportation between South Korea and regional destinations in Asia. The network has emphasized international routes from Incheon International Airport, with Japan, East Asia, and Southeast Asia forming the principal geographic focus. The service is designed around relatively short sectors and price-sensitive demand, including leisure and visiting-friends-and-relatives travel. The carrier’s international orientation became more pronounced after its initial domestic service between Gimpo and Jeju.
Airline fare product · 2016
Low-cost fare and ancillary services
The Air Seoul fare proposition follows a low-cost structure in which the core ticket provides transportation while selected extras may be purchased separately. Depending on the itinerary and fare conditions, ancillary services can include checked baggage, food and other onboard provisions, seat-related options, and travel changes. This structure allows the airline to advertise a relatively simple base fare while tailoring the total price to individual passenger requirements.
Aircraft-based operating product · 2016
Airbus A321 regional services
Air Seoul has built its operating model around Airbus A321-family narrow-body aircraft. These aircraft are appropriate for high-density short- and medium-haul services across Asia, combining substantial single-aisle capacity with a range suitable for routes linking South Korea with Japan and Southeast Asia. The common fleet concept supports maintenance and crew efficiencies while giving the airline a consistent onboard product.
Controversies
Marketing campaigns
- 2019LICO 3D animated safety video
South Korea · International network
Air Seoul worked with Naver WEBTOON’s LICO to produce a new safety video using 3D animation and a LICO character. The initiative extended the airline’s earlier use of webtoon-related creative content.
Outcome. The airline presented the production as a first among Korean airlines to use this type of LICO-based 3D animated safety content.
- 2017Your Seoul
South Korea · International network
Air Seoul introduced an inflight magazine centered on Seoul’s attractions and tourism offer. The publication positioned the airline as a gateway to the capital as well as a transport provider.
Outcome. The magazine reinforced the carrier’s Seoul identity and provided destination content for passengers.
- 2016Naver WEBTOON safety video
South Korea · International network
Air Seoul collaborated with Naver WEBTOON to create an inflight safety video incorporating recognizable webtoon properties and characters. The project used popular Korean digital culture to make a mandatory safety communication more distinctive and entertaining.
Outcome. The collaboration gave Air Seoul a differentiated onboard brand asset and linked the airline to a major Korean digital-content platform.
Brand decisions
2019
Introduce Cinema in the SkyProduct launchBackground
Air Seoul sought to add branded value to its low-cost onboard experience through content and entertainment features.
Action taken
The airline launched Cinema in the Sky as an inflight entertainment service.
Aftermath
The service broadened the carrier’s onboard product beyond the basic transportation offering.
2016
Launch international servicesProduct launchBackground
After receiving regulatory approval and beginning domestic trial and commercial flights, Air Seoul sought to establish a regional international network.
Action taken
The airline began international flights to Japan in October 2016 and subsequently expanded into other Asian markets.
Aftermath
International routes became the central focus of the Air Seoul operating model.
2015
Create a Seoul-based low-cost subsidiaryStrategyBackground
Asiana Airlines sought a stronger competitive position in Seoul’s low-cost market while retaining Air Busan’s separate Busan-centered role.
Action taken
Asiana established Air Seoul as a controlled subsidiary focused on regional routes and price-sensitive international demand.
Aftermath
Air Seoul began operations in 2016 and developed an international network distinct from Air Busan’s geographic base.
- Prepare for potential integration into Jin AirM&A
Background
The proposed Korean Air acquisition and integration of Asiana Airlines created a broader restructuring question for the two Asiana-affiliated low-cost carriers.
Action taken
Publicly described plans have contemplated integrating Air Seoul and Air Busan into Jin Air, Korean Air’s low-cost subsidiary.
Aftermath
The eventual legal structure, branding, and timing remain dependent on corporate decisions and regulatory processes.
Recent events
Cho Jin-man promoted to CEO of Air Seoul[3]
Reported:
Cho Jin-man was promoted to CEO of Air Seoul as part of Asiana Airlines' executive reshuffle.
South Korea fines three low-cost carriers for safety violations[2]
Reported:
South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport imposed a total of W810 million in fines on Jeju Air, T’way Air and Air Seoul for safety-rule violations.
Sources3 sources
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