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Korean Air is expanding its maintenance infrastructure, announcing plans for a next-generation aircraft hangar at Incheon International Airport (ICN) that will anchor its goal to become a global maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) powerhouse.

The carrier signed an agreement on November 24, 2025, with Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC), committing KRW 176 billion (approximately US$119 million) to the H3 Maintenance Facility Development Project. 

Korean Air said the signing drew over 90 representatives from government, local authorities, and the National Assembly, underlining the project’s significance to South Korea’s aviation sector.

More than steel and concrete

Vice Chairman Keehong Woo addressed the signing event, calling the facility much more than steel and concrete.

“A maintenance hangar is not merely a building; it is a cradle of safety and a vital foundation for upholding Korean Air’s top priority of absolute safety,” Woo said. “From the earliest design phase, we will ensure this new hangar becomes the safest, most advanced, and most exemplary maintenance base—a true stronghold of aviation safety.”

The numbers back up the ambition. Spread across 69,299 square meters within Incheon’s High Tech Aviation Complex, the hangar will handle two widebody aircraft and one narrowbody simultaneously. The size is critical as Korean Air prepares to merge operations with Asiana Airlines.

Essential infrastructure

Construction will kick off in 2027, with operations targeted for late 2029. Once operational, approximately 300 maintenance specialists will call the facility home, performing everything from routine airframe inspections to complex heavy maintenance and aircraft modifications.

The timing isn’t coincidental. As Korean Air moves toward launching its integrated carrier following the Asiana merger, the new hangar becomes essential infrastructure for handling an expanded fleet and positioning Incheon as Asia’s premier MRO hub.

“We will work closely with Incheon International Airport Corporation to ensure the seamless and timely progress of the project,” a Korean Air representative said in a statement. “Guided by our Safety First principle, Korean Air will continue to drive innovation and transformation as we move toward becoming the world’s most beloved airline.”

The hangar represents just one piece of Korean Air’s infrastructure puzzle. The carrier is simultaneously advancing a KRW 578 billion (approximately US$391 million) engine maintenance facility on Yeongjong Island that is expected to be Asia’s largest. 

In addition, the airline is also building a KRW 1.2 trillion (approximately US$812 million)  Future Urban Air Mobility & Aviation Safety R&D Center in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province.