[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) has launched an on-site investigation into Asiana Airlines over suspicions that it failed to comply with merger approval conditions related to seat supply.



According to industry sources on September 3, KFTC investigators recently visited Asiana Airlines’ headquarters to conduct the probe.



Asiana Airlines is suspected of violating the condition set by the KFTC during its approval of the airline’s merger with Korean Air, which requires the carrier to maintain at least 90% of the seat supply compared to 2019 levels.



This latest probe comes after Asiana Airlines was found last month to have breached another merger condition prohibiting average fare increases beyond the approved threshold. For that violation, the KFTC imposed a 12.1 billion won ($88 million) enforcement fine and referred the airline for criminal prosecution.

 

 

 

[ⓒ 알파경제. 무단전재-재배포 금지]