Safety pledge ahead of launch of merged Korean Air: “One Safety”

[Financial News] Korean Air and Asiana Airlines are stepping up efforts to integrate their safety cultures ahead of the launch of a combined airline in December.
Korean Air and Asiana Airlines said they held their fourth ‘Safety Day’ event at Korean Air’s headquarters in Gangseo District, Seoul, on the 30th.
About 200 employees from the two airlines, including Korean Air Vice Chairman and CEO Kee Hong Woo and Asiana Airlines CEO Song Bo-young, as well as employees of Korea Airport Service (KAS) and Asiana Airport (AAP), which handle ground operations, attended the event.
This year’s event slogan was ‘One Team, One Safety,’ as it was last year. The aim was to bring the two airlines’ safety cultures together and embed them in day-to-day operations ahead of the launch of the combined airline. Attendees watched a safety video carrying the message ‘Remember, Learn, Act,’ revisiting the safety culture and cases the two airlines have built up.
They then read aloud the ‘Safety Pledge,’ which consists of six items—expertise, responsibility, consideration, cooperation, prevention and challenge—and reaffirmed their commitment to making safety their top priority even after the integration.
A joint ‘Beyond Excellence’ awards ceremony was also held to share and recognize outstanding safety practices. A Korean Air flight crew member who proactively reported airport conditions not reflected in the flight plan, prompting a revision to the plan and helping ensure a safe takeoff, won the top award in the ‘Hazard Reporting’ category, the airline’s internal voluntary reporting program. The two airlines also shared outstanding safety and security practices.
Earlier, the two airlines held ‘Safety Week’ at major sites for one week starting on the 26th. The week began with a safety pledge event at Korean Air’s Busan Tech Center, followed by safety activities and participatory programs tailored to the needs of each division, including passenger services, cargo, cabin and maintenance. They also highlighted the importance of on-site safety by revisiting past safety-related cases through exhibits and videos.
A Korean Air official said, “It was a meaningful occasion to express our commitment to safety management and build companywide consensus on safety,” adding, “We will continue campaigns related to safety culture to strengthen bonds among employees and lay the groundwork for an integrated safety culture.”
Meanwhile, Korean Air has designated the last Friday of October each year as ‘Safety Day’ since 2023. The event commemorates October 30, the day the first civilian aircraft began service in Korea and Aviation Day, and aims to promote a safety culture across the company.

[email protected] Jung Won-il Reporter