Korean Air has announced a significant expansion of its maintenance capabilities with plans to build a new aircraft hangar inside Incheon International Airport’s High Tech Aviation Complex. Developed in partnership with the Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC), the project is backed by a KRW 176 billion (US$99 million) investment from the airline as it prepares for the launch of the integrated carrier.
Korean Air and IIAC signed an agreement for the H3 Maintenance Facility Development Project on November 24, at the Grand Hyatt Incheon.
The new facility will be designed to handle a full spectrum of next-generation maintenance tasks, including airframe inspections, component checks and complex heavy maintenance and modification work. As Korean Air readies itself for integration, the hangar will serve as a strategic cornerstone in its push to expand MRO capabilities and establish a world-class maintenance hub within Incheon’s High Tech Aviation Complex.
Covering a 69,299-m² site, the hangar will accommodate two wide-body aircraft and one narrow-body aircraft simultaneously. Construction is set to begin in 2027, with operations planned to start in late 2029. Around 300 specialists, including Korean Air’s experienced maintenance teams, will be based at the site. The facility will act as a central base for heavy maintenance and aircraft modification, supporting both current fleet demands and the increased requirements expected after the integration of carriers.
Alongside the new hangar, Korean Air is progressing several major infrastructure initiatives to support the integrated carrier. These include a KRW 578 billion project to build Asia’s largest engine maintenance facility on Yeongjong Island in Incheon, and a KRW 1.2 trillion Future Urban Air Mobility and Aviation Safety R&D Centre in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province. Together, these developments mark an ambitious, forward-looking strategy to strengthen Korea’s influence in global aviation engineering and MRO.
