“No plan”, but growing concern about restructuring … Hanjin on developments

Private Pilots Association “There is no integrated reality without restructuring”
Korean Air “Contract not to restructure the workforce … Solve by diversifying the schedules and destinations of the routes”

[아시아경제 유제훈 기자] With the start of Korean Air’s acquisition of Asiana Airlines, concerns about “workforce restructuring” are mounting. Hanjin Group is drawing a line that says: “There is no restructuring”, but it is an aspect of active evolution in response to the growing reaction.

According to industry sources on the 21st, KDB Development Bank and Hanjin Group estimated that Korean Air and Asiana Airlines have around 800 overlapping templates. It is 2.8% of the combined workforce of both companies (about 28,000 people), and Hanjin Group explained that it can be covered with natural reductions for retirement and retirement.

Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Won-tae also made a direct call. He met with journalists after attending the late Chairman Yang-ho Cho’s award ceremony of the Korean-American Business Meeting held at FKI Hall on the 17th and said, “There is no restructuring plan.” If you think about it, you can fully utilize (double the labor). “

However, there are many questions in the industry about whether business normalization without restructuring is possible. Due to the characteristics of Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, which are equally large airlines, most areas such as flight, cabin crew, maintenance and workers in general overlap, and the new coronavirus infection situation (Corona 19).

In particular, the two companies are three low-cost airlines (LCC) such as Jin Air, Air Busan and Air Seoul, ground handling subsidiaries (Korea Airport, Asiana Airport), IT-related subsidiaries (Hanjin Information & Communication, Asiana IDT) and subsidiaries related to CRS (Topaz). It also has similar subsidiaries like Travel Information, Asiana Saver). Since these are also goals for medium and long-term integration, the problem of labor overlap is inevitably related to the issue.

The Korean Civil Aviation Pilots Association issued a statement the day before, saying: “With more than half of the aviation personnel still on leave, the integration of Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Jin Air, Air Busan and Air Seoul without restructuring is a reality. “I also pointed out.

As concerns about restructuring mount, Hanjin Group is also actively evolving. After President Cho directly drew the line, “There is no restructuring plan,” Korean Air President Woo Ki-hong also met with reporters immediately after attending the Air Industry Committee meeting. Korea Chamber of Commerce Tourism the day before to read public opinion.

President Woo said: “We have never been so critical of Corona 19, but Korean Air has never undergone artificial restructuring in its 51-year history and will continue to do so,” Woo said. “We have decided not to restructure Asiana Airlines and its subsidiaries. He said:” I put (related details) in the contract. “

Despite the question that the restructuring of the workforce is not triggered by the restructuring of routes, he emphasized: “As there is basically no restructuring of the workforce, we will make a plan to keep the workforce in various ways. such as time zone, destination and equipment readjustment instead of unifying routes.

Reporter Yoo Je-hoon [email protected]