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Transportation

Korean Air Lines Co., Ltd.

Company Background

Korean Air Lines, the largest airline in South Korea, is part of the Hanjin group, a conglomerate specializing in transportation. It is a key air carrier in Asia, with 115 routes worldwide as of the end of 2014. The airline was founded as a state-owned company in 1962 under the name Korean Air Lines and was privatized in 1969. It operates a wide range of services from air cargo to domestic and international passenger flights. Korean Air also operates an aerospace business that develops military and unmanned aircraft.

Its international passenger services are the company's largest source of profit, generating more than half the company's revenue. Air cargo services follow, accounting for more than 20% of revenue.

As of the end of March, it owned 149 aircraft, 122 for passengers and 27 for cargo. Its fleet ranges in size from Airbus A380 superjumbo to the midsize Boeing 737.

The South Korean airline plans to spend a total of $12.23 billion, based on list prices, to buy more than 100 new-model aircraft, including the Boeing 737 Max and Airbus A321neo.

Its discount affiliate, Jin Air, offers short-haul flights to Japan and China, as well as medium-length flights to Southeast Asia. Korean Air, by contrast, is looking to strengthen its service on major routes and long-haul overseas service.

Korean Air is a member of the SkyTeam international airline alliance.

Business Summary

Korean Air Lines Co., Ltd. engages in operating scheduled air transportation services. It operates through the following business divisions: Air Transportation, Air Space, and Others. It provides air transportation services such as passenger, cargo, building lease, maintenance, and training services. In addition, It also supplies aerospace, catering, in-flight sales, and Limousines. The company was founded on June 19, 1962 and is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea.

Financial Highlights

Dec 2022 KRWUSD
Revenue14,096.09B10,909.43M
Gross Profit3,757.76B2,908.25M
Operating income2,832.96B2,192.52M
Income before tax2,561.96B1,982.78M
Net income1,724.40B1,334.57M
EBITDA4,482.70B3,469.31M
Diluted EPS4,787.063.70
Dividends Per Share7500.58
Total Assets28,997.70B22,932.14M
Total liabilities19,705.24B15,583.42M
Total equity8,994.19B7,112.84M
Operating cash flow5,170.10B4,001.31M
Currency in KRWCurrency in USD

Historical Data

 Dec 2018Dec 2019Dec 2020Dec 2021Dec 2022
Revenue 13,011.64B 12,384.26B 7,610.53B 9,016.82B 14,096.09B
Gross Profit 2,033.65B 1,365.03B 675,036.73M 2,029.64B 3,757.76B
Operating income 671,650.20M 175,624.82M 106,942.38M 1,409.50B 2,832.96B
Income before tax -178,264.61M -815,020.32M -934,840.24M 843,142.90M 2,561.96B
Net income -168,480.81M -749,585.65M -862,627.58M 560,947.10M 1,724.40B
EBITDA 2,422.28B 2,249.29B 2,069.22B 3,104.86B 4,482.70B
Diluted EPS -1,191.47 -4,516.12 -1,671.76 1,656.22 4,787.06
Dividends Per Share 169.64 0 0 0 750
Total Assets 25,842.50B 27,014.11B 25,190.06B 26,671.90B 28,997.70B
Total liabilities 23,381.01B 25,312.62B 22,556.49B 20,106.18B 19,705.24B
Total equity 2,338.42B 1,576.89B 2,528.34B 6,453.93B 8,994.19B
Operating cash flow 2,205.08B 1,610.78B 776,098.97M 3,085.05B 5,170.10B
 Dec 2018Dec 2019Dec 2020Dec 2021Dec 2022
Revenue 11,823.20M 10,619.47M 6,450.21M 7,873.86M 10,909.43M
Gross Profit 1,847.90M 1,170.51M 572.11M 1,772.37M 2,908.25M
Operating income 610.30M 150.59M 90.63M 1,230.83M 2,192.52M
Income before tax -161.98M -698.87M -792.31M 736.26M 1,982.78M
Net income -153.09M -642.76M -731.10M 489.84M 1,334.57M
EBITDA 2,201.04M 1,928.76M 1,753.75M 2,711.29M 3,469.31M
Diluted EPS -1.08 -3.87 -1.41 1.44 3.70
Dividends Per Share 0.15 0 0 0 0.58
Total Assets 23,160.51M 23,359.52M 23,188.86M 22,436.93M 22,932.14M
Total liabilities 20,954.48M 21,888.21M 20,764.51M 16,913.71M 15,583.42M
Total equity 2,095.73M 1,363.56M 2,327.48M 5,429.17M 7,112.84M
Operating cash flow 2,003.67M 1,381.24M 657.77M 2,693.99M 4,001.31M

Valuation Measures

Dec 2022
PER4.79
ROA6.19%
ROE22.32%
Operating margin20.09%
Profit margin12.23%

Management

  • Chairman & Co-Chief Executive Officer: Won-Tae Cho
  • Co-CEO, Director & Head-Strategy Management: Gi-Hong Woo
  • Senior Managing Director & Head-Finance: Eun-Yong Ha
  • Director & Vice President-Technology: Soo-Geun Lee
  • Senior Managing Director & Head-Aerospace: In-Hwa Kim

Shareholders

  • HANJIN KAL Corp. (26.1%)
  • National Pension Service of Korea (7.3%)
  • Korean Air Lines Co. Ltd. Employee Stock Ownership Associate (4.3%)
  • The Korea Development Bank (Investment Management) (3.3%)
  • The Vanguard Group, Inc. (1.7%)
  • BlackRock Fund Advisors (1.0%)
  • Norges Bank Investment Management (0.8%)
  • Jungseok-Inha School's Foundation (0.7%)
  • Samsung Asset Management Co., Ltd. (0.6%)
  • Dimensional Fund Advisors LP (0.5%)

Contact Details

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Competitors

  • Asiana Airlines Inc.
  • China Airlines Ltd.
  • Firstec Co., Ltd
  • PAL Holdings, Inc.
  • JEJUAIR CO., LTD.
  • LATAM Airlines Group SA
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  • Earth & Aerospace Manufacturing Ind. Co. Ltd
  • AK Holdings, Inc.
Last Updated on 22 Sep, 2023

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