Airlines will officially depart the Star Alliance network on December 16, 2026, concluding a 23-year membership just hours before its full integration into Korean Air.

The exit, announced in a Star Alliance press release, marks the final step in a long-anticipated shift in the South Korean aviation market. According to reporting by Travel Weekly, Korean Air acquired Asiana for $1.3 billion in December 2024. Korean Air is a founding member of the rival SkyTeam alliance.

Frequent flyer deadlines and transition details

Star Alliance has established specific cutoff dates for loyalty program members. Customers flying on Asiana Airlines-operated flights have until October 15, 2026, to earn miles in Star Alliance frequent flyer programs.

The final date to redeem miles for Star Alliance award tickets and upgrades on Asiana Airlines is December 16, 2026. This date also serves as the deadline for passengers to utilize Star Alliance Gold and Silver status benefits on Asiana flights.

In a statement regarding the transition, Star Alliance noted that the organization and Asiana Airlines will coordinate closely to maintain a seamless customer experience leading up to the departure. The alliance also thanked the carrier and its employees for their contributions since joining in 2003.

Post-exit operations at Incheon International Airport

Despite the loss of its South Korean member airline, Star Alliance will maintain a significant presence in Seoul. Following Asiana’s departure, 14 member airlines will continue to operate flights to and from Incheon International Airport (ICN).

The remaining Star Alliance carriers serving the airport include:

• Air Canada
• Air China
• Air India
• Air New Zealand
• Ethiopian Airlines
• EVA Air
• LOT Polish Airlines
• Lufthansa
• Shenzhen Airlines
• Singapore Airlines
• SWISS
• Thai Airways
• Turkish Airlines
• United Airlines

The Korean Air consolidation

The departure from Star Alliance is a direct consequence of the corporate merger between South Korea’s two largest airlines. Merger discussions began in 2020 and culminated in the December 2024 acquisition following extensive regulatory reviews across multiple international jurisdictions.

Travel Weekly reported that the boards of both airlines announced in May 2026 that the final consolidation would occur in December. The two carriers are scheduled to complete their integration on December 17, 2026, immediately following the Star Alliance exit at 23:59 Korea Standard Time (KST) the night prior.

AirPro News analysis

We view Asiana’s exit from Star Alliance as a major structural shift for the East Asian alliance landscape. SkyTeam will now dominate Incheon International Airport through the combined Korean Air entity. Star Alliance loses a dedicated hub carrier in a critical market, forcing its remaining 14 operators at Incheon to rely entirely on point-to-point traffic and their own respective hubs rather than regional feed from a local partner.

Sources: Star Alliance

The board of directors at easyJet plc has unanimously rejected a £4.7 billion ($6.2 billion) takeover proposal from United States investment firm Castlelake, L.P., describing the unsolicited £6.25 per-share cash offer as an opportunistic attempt to acquire the airlines during a temporary dip in its valuation.

The rejection, detailed in a regulatory announcement on June 22, 2026, marks the third rebuffed approach from Castlelake in recent weeks. Following the board’s decision, Castlelake made its offer public to appeal directly to easyJet shareholders ahead of a looming regulatory deadline.

The Castlelake proposals and easyJet’s rejection

Castlelake’s interest in the United Kingdom-based carrier began privately with an initial proposal of £5.60 per share submitted on June 12, 2026. After the easyJet board rejected that initial approach on June 16, 2026, Castlelake returned with a second offer of £6.00 per share, followed by a third proposal of £6.25 per share on June 20, 2026.

The third proposal represents a 59% premium over easyJet’s closing share price of £3.94 on May 28, 2026, the last trading day before Castlelake’s interest became public knowledge. Despite the premium, the easyJet board concluded the offer fundamentally undervalues the company and its future prospects.

“The Board believes that the Third Proposal represents an opportunistic attempt to acquire easyJet ‘on the cheap’ and that it is therefore not in the best interests of easyJet shareholders,” the airline stated in its regulatory filing.

In response to the June 21, 2026 rejection, Castlelake issued a public statement criticizing the board’s refusal to negotiate. The investment firm stated that given the board’s unwillingness to engage meaningfully, it chose to announce the third proposal publicly to allow easyJet shareholders to evaluate the merits of the offer directly.

Regulatory deadlines and shareholder expectations

To comply with European Union regulations requiring airlines to be majority-owned and controlled by EU nationals, Castlelake structured its bid as a partnership. Under the proposed arrangement, Castlelake would hold a 49% stake. The remaining 51% would be held by two Irish aviation executives: Peter Bellew, a former easyJet Chief Operating Officer, and Mark Breen.

The acquisition attempt is now subject to the rules of the UK Takeover Panel. The regulator has set a “put up or shut up” deadline of June 26, 2026. By this date, Castlelake must either announce a firm intention to make an offer for easyJet or formally withdraw from the process.

While Castlelake attempts to bypass the board and appeal to shareholders, early indications suggest the current offer may not secure investor backing. According to reporting by Reuters, major easyJet investors are holding out for an offer of at least £7.00 per share before they would be willing to support a transaction.

AirPro News analysis

We view this takeover attempt as a clear indicator of private equity’s growing appetite for outright airline acquisitions, particularly when macroeconomic pressures create valuation disparities. easyJet’s share price has faced significant headwinds recently, driven largely by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The geopolitical situation has simultaneously depressed customer confidence in certain markets and introduced volatility into jet fuel prices, creating the exact “temporarily depressed” valuation the easyJet board cited in its rejection.

The easyJet board is leaning heavily on the airline’s recent financial performance to justify its standalone strategy. The carrier reported a 46% increase in pre-tax profit over the two full financial years ending in September 2025 and has set a medium-term profit before tax target exceeding £1 billion. For Castlelake to succeed before the June 26, 2026 deadline, the firm will likely need to bridge the gap between its £6.25 offer and the £7.00 threshold reportedly demanded by institutional shareholders, a move that would significantly increase the total capital required for the acquisition.

Sources: easyJet plc

Airlines (AS) has promoted Chief Financial Officer Shane Tackett to the dual role of president and CFO, consolidating the carrier’s financial and commercial leadership under a single executive.

Announced in a press release on June 17, 2026, the appointment takes effect on June 29, 2026. The restructuring is designed to support the carrier’s “Alaska Accelerate” strategic plan and facilitate the ongoing Mergers of Hawaiian Airlines (HA) into the broader Alaska Air Group portfolio.

Consolidating commercial and financial oversight

Under the new corporate structure, Tackett will retain his existing responsibilities overseeing finance, fleet management, investor relations, supply chain, internal audit, and information technology. He will now add direct oversight of the airline’s commercial organization, which is currently led by Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Harrison.

Alaska Air Group Chief Executive Officer Ben Minicucci framed the promotion as a necessary step to execute the company’s global ambitions and manage the complexities of the Hawaiian Airlines integration.

“Bringing commercial and finance leadership together under Shane will strengthen alignment and accelerate our priorities as we continue advancing our Strategy and creating long-term value for our stakeholders,” Minicucci stated.

Strategic alignment and Hawaiian Airlines integration

Tackett has spent 25 years at Alaska Airlines, working across finance, strategy, commercial, and labor relations roles before becoming CFO in 2020. During his tenure, he has served as a primary architect of the “Alaska Accelerate” plan, which aims to drive sustained earnings growth across industry cycles.

The promotion follows a broader wave of executive realignments initiated in September 2025 to build leadership capacity across the combined global carrier. Those earlier changes included naming Diana Birkett Rakow as CEO of Hawaiian Airlines, Andy Schneider as CEO and president of Horizon Air (QX), and Jason Berry as Chief Operating Officer of Alaska Airlines.

“I started at Alaska more than 25 years ago, and over that time we’ve built a stronger, more resilient airline with a clear strategy for the future,” Tackett said. “As President and Chief Financial Officer, I’m excited to help lead even more of this organization as we continue executing Alaska Accelerate, growing our global relevance and delivering for our guests, employees and owners.”

AirPro News analysis

We view the consolidation of the commercial and financial portfolios under Tackett as a clear indicator of Alaska Air Group’s current operational priorities. Merging the oversight of revenue generation with cost control and capital allocation ensures that the complex integration of Hawaiian Airlines remains strictly tethered to financial performance targets. By elevating a 25-year veteran who already intimately understands the company’s financial architecture, Alaska is prioritizing stability and disciplined execution as it scales its network.

Sources: Alaska Airlines