Air Busan

History

Air Busan was established in 2007 as Busan International Airlines, a joint venture involving Asiana Airlines and Busan-area investors, and rebranded as Air Busan in February 2008 before starting commercial flights in October 2008. It grew into a mid-sized regional low-cost carrier based at Gimhae Airport, carrying around 8 million passengers annually by the late 2010s. Following Korean Air's 2020-2021 acquisition of Asiana Airlines, regulators required consolidation of the merged group's low-cost subsidiaries, setting Air Busan on a path toward integration with Jin Air and Air Seoul.

Current Operations

As of September 2026, Air Busan continues to operate independently as an Asiana Airlines-affiliated low-cost carrier, flying about 20 Airbus A320-family aircraft (A320-200, A321-200, A321neo and A321LR) from its Busan Gimhae (PUS) base to domestic and regional international destinations, and it began a domestic codeshare with sister low-cost carrier Jin Air in January 2026. However, its independent existence is scheduled to end: following Korean Air's 2021-approved takeover and restructuring of Asiana, the boards of Jin Air, Air Busan and Air Seoul signed a merger agreement on 21 August 2026 under which Jin Air will absorb Air Busan and Air Seoul's assets, staff and operations, with the combined carrier (retaining the Jin Air brand) targeted to launch in March 2027 pending shareholder and regulatory approval.

Last verified 2026-09-02· Source: airline public disclosures, company press releases & aviation-industry reporting.

Serves These Profiled Airports12

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