Seoul:South Korea's antitrust watchdog has started examining claims that Korean Air Lines Co. did not comply with seat capacity requirements set as conditions for its acquisition of Asiana Airlines Inc.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) has issued an examiner's report suggesting actions against Korean Air, its affiliate Jin Air, and Asiana Airlines. The report alleges these airlines failed to provide at least 90 percent of the seat capacity offered in 2019 on specific routes between Cheongju and Jeju from December 2024 to December 2025, as was required under the merger conditions.

This report indicates that the airlines violated FTC's conditions and suggests penalties for the noncompliance, as well as referring the matter for criminal investigation.

Additionally, the report advised against approving Korean Air and four affiliated airlines' request to lower the minimum seat capacity requirement from 90 percent to 70 percent of 2019 levels on routes from Incheon and Busan to Guam. The airline had argued for the change, citing decreased interest in Guam as a travel destination, but examiners concluded that the criteria for amending the requirements were not met.

The FTC will finalize its decisions after a plenary session, allowing the involved parties to present their defenses. Asiana Airlines is currently a subsidiary of Korean Air, with their merger into a single entity set for December 17.