Korean Air announced it has signed a strategic partnership agreement with Thailand’s state-owned Thai Aviation Industries (TAI) to collaborate on maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) for Thai military aircraft, marking the South Korean carrier’s latest push into the Southeast Asian defense market.
The two companies signed a Teaming Agreement on September 2, 2026, at Korean Air’s Tech Center in Busan, with Hyeoncheol Cho, Vice President and Head of Korean Air’s Defense Business Department, and Piboon Vorravanpreecha, Managing Director of TAI, in attendance.
Partnership starts with UH-60 Black Hawks, eyes wider Thai military fleet
Under the agreement, Korean Air and TAI will initially collaborate on depot-level maintenance for the Royal Thai Army’s UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, with plans to expand the partnership to include other military aircraft operated by the Royal Thai Armed Forces.
Korean Air said it will also support TAI in standardizing military aircraft maintenance processes and providing technical training for Thai personnel.
Korean Air is no stranger to the Black Hawk platform. The airline’s aerospace division, which operates primarily out of its Busan Tech Center and Daejeon Research and Development Center, began producing UH-60 helicopters in 1991 and has continued to provide maintenance support for the fleet since.
The company recently secured a major contract to upgrade the helicopters’ performance, building on more than three decades of hands-on experience with the type.
50 years of MRO expertise meets Thailand’s military maintenance network
TAI manages the maintenance and logistical support for all aircraft operated by the Thai military. By pairing Korean Air’s technical expertise with TAI’s established maintenance network and infrastructure in Thailand, the partnership is expected to improve the operational readiness of the Thai military’s aviation fleet.
Korean Air brings more than 50 years of military aircraft maintenance experience to the table, having completed depot-level maintenance and performance upgrades for more than 5,500 aircraft. The airline’s aerospace division specializes in three core areas: the design and manufacturing of complex aircraft structures, comprehensive MRO and upgrade services for military aircraft, and development of advanced unmanned aerial vehicles and space launch technologies.
Cho said the partnership marks an important step in bringing Korean Air’s MRO capabilities to Southeast Asia. “By combining our military aircraft maintenance expertise with TAI’s strong local network, we aim to expand our presence in the regional and global MRO markets,” he said.
The TAI partnership adds to Korean Air’s growing footprint in military MRO across the region, as Southeast Asian nations continue to invest in maintaining and upgrading their defense aviation fleets.