South Korea – Korean Air plans to consolidate its and Asiana Airlines' pilot simulator operations into a new aviation research and training complex in Bucheon, with capacity for up to 30 Full Flight Simulators (FFSs) by 2030. The project would expand the two airlines' combined simulator inventory by approximately 67% from the 18 devices disclosed when the development was announced and create a single training infrastructure platform for the integrated carrier.

Korean Air reiterated the 30-FFS target in April 2026. Its existing Incheon Flight Training Center currently operates 12 FFSs and trained more than 5,000 pilots during 2025, with the facility operating 24 hours a day except during maintenance periods.
When the Bucheon project was announced in April 2025, Korean Air stated that the integrated center would be capable of training up to 21,600 domestic and international pilots annually. Its April 2026 update described planned annual capacity as more than 20,000 pilots.
The flight training center will form part of Korean Air's wider Future Air Mobility and Aviation Safety Research & Development Center in the Bucheon Daejang Urban High-Tech Industrial Complex. The KRW1.2 trillion investment (approximately US$882 million) will occupy a 65,842-square-meter site and also include an unmanned-aircraft research center and safety training facilities.
Construction is scheduled to begin in 2027, with Korean Air's latest stated target calling for the complex to begin operations in May 2030. More than 1,000 personnel, including researchers and flight instructors, are expected to be based at the site.
The expansion is also linked to Korean Air's operational integration of Asiana. Korean Air stated in 2026 that the two carriers had already aligned operating manuals, pilot training and assessment procedures, standard operating procedures and cockpit callouts in preparation for the combined airline.

About Korean Air
Korean Air is South Korea's flag carrier, headquartered in Seoul and operating passenger, cargo and aerospace businesses. As of July 2026, it reported 166 aircraft comprising 143 passenger aircraft and 23 freighters: five A380-800s, four 747-8Is, 30 777s, 31 787s, 17 A330-300s, 23 737s, 20 A321neos, 10 A220-300s and three A350-900s, together with four 747-400Fs, seven 747-8Fs and 12 777Fs.

About Asiana Airlines
Asiana Airlines is a South Korean full-service airline and a subsidiary of Korean Air following completion of Korean Air's acquisition. Its published passenger fleet currently comprises 67 aircraft: six A380-800s, 15 A350-900s, eight Boeing 777-200ERs, 14 A330-300s, 13 A321neos and 11 A321-200s.

Source: Korean Air

South Korean Airline Group Plans 30-FFS Integrated Pilot Training Center by 2030

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