Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and Korean Air are experiencing a notable surge in sales of their flagship aircraft parts, leveraging the expanding global market for private aircraft, traditionally dominated by European and U.S. companies.
Their main products—plane doors, fuselage components, and key wing parts like wing ribs, wing tips, and winglets—are purchased by major manufacturers such as Airbus and Boeing.
In the second quarter of this year, KAI reported sales of 230.9 billion won ($167.95 million), marking a 22.4 percent increase from the same period last year. Airbus and Boeing accounted for 36.3 percent and 10.7 percent of these sales, respectively, solidifying KAI’s position as the largest private plane parts supplier in South Korea.
Beyond large aircraft, KAI also produces parts for smaller planes, which contributed about 20 percent of its sales last year, totaling 805.9 billion won. The company aims to grow this segment to 2 trillion won by 2030, representing 30 percent of total sales.
Additionally, KAI is expanding into the urban air mobility (UAM) sector. In April, the company signed a 1 trillion won supply contract with Eve Air Mobility, a subsidiary of Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer, for electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft.
Korean Air is making significant strides in the commercial aircraft manufacturing sector.
The airline is currently providing five key structural parts, including wingtips, for the Boeing 787. To date, Korean Air components have been installed on over 1,200 Boeing 787 aircraft. The airline’s parts are also utilized by Airbus.
Korean Air’s collaboration with major aircraft manufacturers continues to grow. The carrier recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Boeing to purchase 20 777-9 and 30 787-10 aircraft. Additionally, it plans to introduce 33 Airbus A350s and 50 A321 NEOs, aiming to expand its fleet to 203 state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly aircraft by 2034.