Korean Air, Asiana Airlines staff volunteer in education, cleanup drives ahead of merger

With a unified "Korean Air" set to launch in December, employees of Korean Air and Asiana Airlines are taking part in education outreach and environmental cleanup activities as part of both carriers' shared commitment to community engagement.

The joint education volunteer corps announced Friday that it had delivered an aviation career lecture to about 140 first-year students at Hanyang University Middle School, attached to the College of Education in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, on Thursday.

Volunteer staff drew on their experience as working aviation professionals to introduce the wide range of roles in the industry and offer advice on career planning. Students deepened their understanding of the aviation sector through firsthand accounts of day-to-day work.

Earlier, on June 27, the corps held a career talk for about 30 middle and high school students at Pine Tree Home, a child welfare facility in Bupyeong-gu, Incheon. A Korean Air flight crew member introduced the role and duties of a pilot, while an Asiana Airlines cabin crew member shared what the job entails and described their experience in aviation service.

Alongside the education initiatives, both carriers have been actively engaged in environmental community service. Each month on the last Friday, employees from both airlines gather for the "Two Hands Together" program to put the spirit of giving into practice.

On June 26, as part of their ongoing community service efforts, employees from both carriers walked roughly 1.8 kilometers along the Gaehwasan trail in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, collecting litter and tidying the surrounding area during a "Two Hands Together" cleanup walk.

"The community service activities that bring employees of both companies together are a meaningful opportunity to share warmth with local communities while also fostering harmony and communication across our organizations," a Korean Air official said. "We will continue our giving activities going forward, grounded in our organizational culture of 'a journey together.'"

Meanwhile, cabin crew from both carriers conducted a joint emergency evacuation demonstration at Korean Air's headquarters and cabin training center in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, in May, under the supervision of aviation safety inspectors from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, as the two airlines press ahead with merger preparations.