Korean Air Seals $50B Boeing Deal After Korea-US Summit, Boosting Aviation and Trade Ties

Korean Air has agreed to a record $50 billion purchase of over 100 Boeing jets, the single largest aircraft order ever by the airline. The deal was signed in Washington following a summit between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump, amid the strengthening economic and strategic ties between the two nations.

The order includes 103 Boeing next-generation aircraft—20 Boeing 777-9s, 25 Boeing 787-10s, 50 Boeing 737-10s, and 8 Boeing 777-8F freighters. Along with the aircraft, Korean Air will buy 19 spare engines from GE Aerospace and CFM International, and ink a 20-year engine maintenance deal valued at $13 billion.

This order will enhance Korean Air's competitiveness in the world and operational capabilities, and further advance its partnership with the U.S. aviation industry. The aircraft deliveries will be spread out until the end of 2030.

The signing was watched by key industry leaders like Korean Air Chairman Walter Cho, Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Stephanie Pope, and GE Aerospace's Russell Stokes. The deal also follows a memorandum of understanding inked in July 2024 for 50 Boeing aircraft, though it is uncertain if the current purchase is an extension of this deal.

The summit also opened the door to broader trade agreements, including an updated tariff agreement that reduced U.S. import tariffs on South Korean goods from a threatened 25% to 15%, once more cementing bilateral cooperation.