The A350 aircraft of Korean Air, which started its first operation on January 27 this year, has been confirmed to be the aircraft that Asiana Airlines ordered from Airbus. Asiana Airlines was originally scheduled to receive two A350 aircraft from Airbus in November of last year. The Asiana Airlines labor union claimed that it constituted breach of trust, as Korean Air took the aircraft that Asiana Airlines would use without proper compensation before acquiring Asiana Airlines. Korean Air revealed that it had introduced the aircraft early by suggesting to Airbus that it could be acquired quickly after announcing its A350 purchase plan in April of last year.

According to data obtained by ChosunBiz on the 27th, the Manufacturer Serial Number (MSN) of the aircraft that Asiana Airlines was supposed to receive matches that of the aircraft currently operated by Korean Air. The MSN is a number assigned sequentially during the aircraft manufacturing process and cannot be changed.

According to the aviation record site Aviation Flights, an aircraft noted as 'A350, Asiana Airlines, F-WZFU, HL8583(MSN 681)' has now been changed to 'A350-941, Korean Air Lines, F-WZFU, HL8597(MSN 681)'. While the MSN is the same, only the airline has changed from Asiana Airlines (Asiana Airlines) to Korean Air (Korean Air Lines). When registering an aircraft with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, a four-digit number is assigned following the national identifier 'HL', which may change upon transfer of ownership.

The A350 aircraft scheduled to be delivered to Asiana Airlines in early July last year. It matches the MSN (unique manufacturing number) of the aircraft currently operated by Korean Air./Courtesy of reader
The A350 aircraft scheduled to be delivered to Asiana Airlines in early July last year. It matches the MSN (unique manufacturing number) of the aircraft currently operated by Korean Air./Courtesy of reader
The A350 aircraft that began operating at Korean Air on Jan. 27, 2025. It has the same MSN as the photo labeled Asiana Airlines from last July./Courtesy of Aviation Flights

Korean Air, which mainly operated Boeing aircraft, announced in April of last year that it would purchase 33 A350 aircraft (27 A350-1000 and 6 A350-900). It was only nine months after the purchase plan was revealed that the aircraft was delivered, an unusually short period.

Professor Yoon Moon-gil of Korea Aerospace University noted, 'Depending on the order situation, it usually takes about five years, at least two to three years for delivery of the aircraft. However, if there are canceled orders, it could be shortened.' An industry insider, who asked to remain anonymous, said, 'As the pandemic has ended, there is a global increase in demand for aircraft, resulting in backlogged orders. Even if an order for an aircraft is canceled, it cannot be reassigned to a specific airline first.'

The history section of the A350 aircraft operated by Korean Air. It was registered as Asiana Airlines last July./Courtesy of reader

There are reports that the interior of the A350 operated by Korean Air is similar to that of the Asiana Airlines aircraft. Typically, aircraft manufacturers decorate the interior based on the buyer's requirements.

Jung Dong-jun (30), a member of the Asiana Airlines Gold Club, recently said that the interior of the Korean Air A350 he boarded was surprisingly similar to that of Asiana Airlines. He stated, 'Having recently flown on the Asiana Airlines A350 three times, I’m familiar with the interior design. The newly introduced Korean Air A350 had the same seating arrangement, chair color, AVOD screen size, remote control, and table size for in-flight meals. I thought it was intentionally designed to have the feel of Asiana Airlines, considering we are facing a merger.'

In response, Korean Air stated, 'All interior materials were sourced from Korean Air, and it is not the interior of Asiana Airlines.'

The business class Smartium seat of Asiana Airlines' A350 aircraft (left) and the Prestige Suite seat of the A350 aircraft that began operating at Korean Air last January (right)./Courtesy of Asiana Airlines, Korean Air

The Asiana Airlines labor union stated, 'It appears certain that the aircraft originally meant for Asiana Airlines has gone to Korean Air. If it is true that the aircraft introduction was given up without compensation, it could constitute a breach of trust considering the loss in operating profit.'

In response, an official from Asiana Airlines remarked, 'The schedule adjustment for the introduction of the A350 was determined after reasonably considering internal operational plans and the conditions of discussions with the manufacturer,' denying that the aircraft designated for Asiana Airlines has gone to Korean Air.

Professor Lee Byung-hun of Kwangwoon University stated, 'If Korean Air receives the aircraft but ensures that it does not interfere with the passenger transport of Asiana Airlines through some seat-sharing agreements, there may not be an issue. However, if Asiana Airlines yielded the aircraft without compensation to Korean Air, there could be a risk of breach of trust.'

The Korean Air website announcing the start of A350 operations (left). An aircraft's MSN (unique manufacturing number) with the same registration number (HL8598, HL8597) is listed on the aviation specialist site. This MSN matches the aircraft that was scheduled for delivery to Asiana Airlines./Courtesy of Korean Air, airfleets
The MSN (unique manufacturing number) of the A350 aircraft (HL8597) that Korean Air started operating in January./Courtesy of aviation specialist website (Airfleets)