Korean Air & Asiana Merger: 8 Diecast Models That Tell the Story

Collector Feature · April 2026

On December 12, 2024, Korean Air completed its acquisition of a 63.9% stake in Asiana Airlines, making the once-rival carrier a fully-owned subsidiary. The timeline toward a single operating entity is now fixed: Asiana's brand is scheduled to disappear by December 2026, its aircraft reregistered or retired, its Star Alliance membership transferred to SkyTeam. For diecast collectors, this merger is a deadline — not just a headline. Every Asiana livery still in production and every Korean Air type that defined the combined fleet carries a different weight now that the count-down clock is public. This guide selects eight models across both carriers that together form a physical record of what Korean aviation looked like in the decade before the merger closed.

The selection spans SQ Wings' 1:200 precision castings (currently among the most detail-accurate 200-scale Korean Air releases on the market), JC Wings' 1:200 wide-body offerings, and NG Models' 1:400 archival pieces. The models are arranged not by scale or brand, but by narrative: from an unlikely "doomsday" story tied to a children's drawing, through the Boeing 787-10 generation that will carry the merged airline's future, to two Asiana types whose operational days are now officially numbered.

The Children's Painting That Flew — and Then Got Classified: Korean Air Boeing 747-8i HL7630 · 1:400 · YY Wings

In 2019, to mark Korean Air's 50th anniversary, the airline wrapped Boeing 747-8i HL7630 in the winning submissions from its 11th annual "내가 그린 예쁜 비행기" (My Beautiful Airplane Drawing) contest — a competition for Korean primary-school students that had been running since 2009. The fuselage below the windows became a continuous mural of cartoon children, animals, rainbows and village scenes, painted in the exuberant style of eight-year-olds. The theme was declared "Go Together! Happy World with Korean Air." The airline called it a celebration of imagination and community. Five years later, in May 2024, Korean Air quietly sold HL7630 to Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) as part of a five-aircraft deal to supply the United States Air Force's Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC) program — the aircraft that will carry the American nuclear command chain in the event of a full-scale conflict. The same airframe that once wore children's drawings of butterflies and kites is being retrofitted as a flying fortress.

The YY Wings 1:400 rendering (D11) replicates the full-fuselage mural in miniature: the aircraft's sky-blue upper fuselage carries a dense band of polychrome cartoon imagery from the wing root to the tail — children in primary colors, animals, houses, rainbows — all rendered over a standard Korean Air Sky Blue base. The Korean Air taegeuk roundel sits on the vertical stabilizer against the standard blue. The model captures the contrast between the orderly corporate livery above the windows and the anarchic children's mural below. D11 is the only 1:400 diecast release of HL7630 in the 11th Drawing Contest livery from any manufacturer, and since the aircraft has since been sold out of the Korean Air fleet, this configuration will not be reproduced on a real aircraft again.

Aircraft record — HL7630: MSN 40905, delivered to Korean Air on August 25, 2015 as the airline's first Boeing 747-8i. Wrapped in the 11th Children's Drawing Contest livery in 2019 for the airline's 50th anniversary. Sold to Sierra Nevada Corporation in May 2024 as part of a five-aircraft package for the U.S. Air Force SAOC program. Expected to be delivered to the USAF after structural modification in 2025.

The Sister Ship: Korean Air Boeing 747-8i HL7633 · 1:200 · SQ Wings

HL7633 is the aircraft that did everything HL7630 did — delivered 2017, stored through COVID-19, and sold to SNC in the same May 2024 deal — without the children's mural. The standard Korean Air Sky Blue livery, introduced when Landor Associates redesigned the brand in 1984 alongside the airline's renaming from Korean Air Lines to Korean Air, has remained essentially stable for four decades: powder-blue upper fuselage, white belly, taegeuk roundel on the tail. The 747-8i wears it at its most horizontal — the longer fuselage of the -8 variant over the -400 makes the sky-blue band a wider, more emphatic statement than on earlier 747 variants.

SQ Wings (based in Shenzhen and focused exclusively on 1:200 alloy production) renders HL7633 with the full-gloss sky-blue upper fuselage, the red-and-blue taegeuk roundel on the vertical stabilizer, and the characteristic "KOREAN AIR" / "대한항공" bilingual text on the forward fuselage. The engine nacelles carry individual miniature taegeuk badges on the intake cowls. At 1:200, the 747-8's actual 76.3m fuselage translates to a 38cm model — the longest single-aisle footprint you can put on a standard collector shelf from this carrier. L2053 is the only 1:200 alloy release of HL7633 in standard Sky Blue from any manufacturer.

Aircraft record — HL7633: MSN 40908, delivered March 24, 2017. Stored from March 2020 to August 2023 during the COVID-19 traffic collapse. Sold to Sierra Nevada Corporation in May 2024 as part of the SAOC contract, along with HL7630. Formal delivery to SNC was expected by September 2025.

The 747-8's 1:200 Twin: Korean Air Boeing 747-8i HL7630 · 1:200 · SQ Wings

SQ Wings released HL7630 in standard Sky Blue as a companion piece to L2053, capturing the aircraft in its "clean" configuration before the children's mural overlay. This matters to the aircraft's record because HL7630 flew in standard livery from 2015 to 2019 — four years on routes including Seoul–Los Angeles, Seoul–New York JFK, and Seoul–Frankfurt before the contest wrap was applied. The 1:200 SQ Wings model documents that earlier identity: the aircraft as a conventional flagship, not yet the flying mural it became.

The L2052 and L2053 releases are produced on the same SQ Wings 747-8i tooling; the only difference is the registration on the rear fuselage. Placed side by side, they represent the two aircraft Korean Air sold to the United States military — a pairing that will not recur once the SAOC modifications are complete. L2052 is the only commercially available 1:200 alloy diecast of HL7630 in standard Sky Blue livery.

Aircraft record — HL7630: MSN 40905, delivered August 25, 2015 — Korean Air's first 747-8i. Wore standard Sky Blue from delivery until 2019 when the 11th Children's Drawing Contest wrap was applied. Sold to SNC in May 2024.

The Next Flagship: Korean Air Boeing 787-10 HL8572 · 1:200 · SQ Wings

The Boeing 787-10 is the aircraft Korean Air has chosen to carry the merged airline's high-volume long-haul network through the 2030s. Korean Air placed a total order for 20 787-10s (10 direct purchase, 10 leased), and HL8572 — MSN 60304, delivered March 2025 — represents the wave of deliveries the airline is currently receiving to replace both its own aging 747-8 fleet and to absorb Asiana's vacated long-haul capacity. The 787-10 is the longest variant of the Dreamliner family at 68.3m, and Korean Air operates it in a two-class domestic/medium-haul configuration as well as full international service.

SQ Wings' L2140 renders the 787-10's distinctly elongated fuselage at 1:200 with the Sky Blue upper fuselage, the gray dividing line between blue and white, and the "KOREAN AIR" / "대한항공" bilingual text forward of the wing. The raked wingtips characteristic of all 787 variants are captured in the casting. The engine nacelles carry the individual taegeuk badges. "BOEING 787-10" and "DREAMLINER" appear on the lower rear fuselage in the standard font placement — a detail that distinguishes the -10 model from the -9 castings. L2140 is the only 1:200 alloy release of HL8572 from any manufacturer.

Aircraft record — HL8572: MSN 60304, delivered to Korean Air in March 2025. Part of the airline's 20-aircraft 787-10 order, which represents a central element of the post-merger fleet strategy — a type that both carriers will fly under the unified Korean Air brand.

The Inaugural 787-10: Korean Air Boeing 787-10 HL8515 · 1:200 · SQ Wings

HL8515 was delivered on July 2024 as Korean Air's first Boeing 787-10 — MSN 66878. Airlines routinely celebrate the arrival of a new type with ceremonial events; for Korean Air, the 787-10 represented the practical answer to the question the merger posed: what do you fly when you have to absorb one of Korea's two major international networks with a single consolidated brand? The 787-10's economics (roughly 25% lower fuel burn per seat than a 777-300ER on equivalent routes) made it the obvious long-term instrument for absorbing Asiana's Pacific and Southeast Asian capacity.

SQ Wings' L2150 is on the same 787-10 tooling as L2140, with HL8515 registration. Placed alongside L2140 (HL8572), the two models represent the inaugural aircraft and an early follow-on delivery from the same order block. The Sky Blue livery is rendered in the current configuration: "KOREAN AIR" in bold deep blue across the upper forward fuselage, the taegeuk on each engine cowl, and the registration on both the tail and the wing upper surface. L2150 is the only 1:200 alloy release of HL8515, Korean Air's first 787-10, from any manufacturer.

Aircraft record — HL8515: MSN 66878, delivered July 2024 as Korean Air's first Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner. The type entered service on regional routes before transitioning to international operations. Currently active.

The Backbone Long-Hauler: Korean Air Boeing 777-300ER HL8008 · 1:200 · JC Wings

While the 787-10 is the future, the 777-300ER has been the operational backbone of Korean Air's long-haul network for the past decade. HL8008 — MSN 43816, delivered September 30, 2015 — is notable for a specific reason in the merger timeline: in March 2025, it became one of the first Korean Air aircraft repainted in the airline's updated livery, featuring a heavier-weight "KOREAN" inscription and a refreshed taegeuk roundel design. The rebrand, unveiled on March 11, 2025, was created by Lippincott — the same consultancy's tradition of externally designed identity systems for Korean Air since the 1984 Landor work. The updated identity will eventually appear on every airframe in the combined fleet.

JC Wings' SA2090 captures HL8008 in the pre-2025 Sky Blue configuration — the livery the aircraft wore from delivery through its early service years, before the March 2025 rebrand. The model shows the standard "KOREAN" / "KOREAN AIR" text placement, the single-taegeuk tail (white roundel on blue ground), and the white engine nacelles. At 1:200, the 777-300ER's 73.9m fuselage renders as a 37cm model. A flaps-down version of the same aircraft is also available as SA2090A — a variant that adds deployed leading-edge slats and trailing-edge flaps, simulating the aircraft on short final. SA2090 documents HL8008 in the pre-merger livery it wore before becoming one of the first aircraft to carry the new brand identity.

Aircraft record — HL8008: MSN 43816, first flew September 18, 2015, delivered September 30, 2015. In March 2025, HL8008 was among the first Korean Air aircraft repainted in the post-merger Lippincott-designed identity. Currently active on long-haul international routes.

The Pioneer: Korean Air Boeing 747SP HL7457 · 1:400 · NG Models

Before Korean Air operated a single 777, 787, or A350, the Boeing 747SP was its instrument for reaching the extremes of its global network. HL7457 — MSN 22484, line number 507 — was delivered on March 18, 1981, in a twelve-seat first-class, forty-seat business, two-hundred-seat economy configuration. The SP (Special Performance) variant was Boeing's answer to ultra-long-range routes: a 14.9m shorter fuselage than the standard 747-100/200, improved fuel efficiency, and the ability to operate routes like Seoul–New York nonstop at a time when no widebody could match it. In 1984, when Korean Air was rebranded from Korean Air Lines and Landor Associates introduced the Sky Blue livery, HL7457 received the new identity alongside the rename. It served through the 1990s until October 1, 1998, when it was sold to Boeing Aircraft Holding Company (reregistered N708BA), subsequently transferred to Pratt & Whitney as an engine testbed (now registered C-GTFF), and remains airworthy to this day — one of the few 747SPs still flying.

NG Models' NG07044 renders HL7457 in the pre-1984 Korean Air Lines classic livery: white upper fuselage with a distinctive three-stripe cheatline (deep blue top, red middle, silver-gray bottom) running below the window line from nose to tail, silver belly, and the airline's early-era taegeuk tail badge in red and blue. The fuselage reads "KOREAN AIR LINES" in large dark-blue capitals — the name the company dropped in 1984. The 747SP's shorter, stubbier profile is immediately recognizable in the casting: the fuselage is visibly truncated compared to the -400 or -8 variants. NG07044 is currently the only 1:400 release of HL7457 in the pre-1984 Korean Air Lines classic livery from any manufacturer; the only other commercial diecast that records this registration is NG07017, which depicts a later livery version of HL7457.

Aircraft record — HL7457: MSN 22484 / Line No. 507. Delivered to Korean Air Lines on March 18, 1981. Rebranded to Korean Air livery in 1984. Sold October 1, 1998 to Boeing Aircraft Holding Company; subsequently used by Pratt & Whitney as engine testbed under registration C-GTFF. One of the few operational 747SPs remaining worldwide.

Last Asiana Wide-Body of Its Kind: Asiana Airlines Boeing 747-400 HL7428 · 1:200 · SQ Wings

On March 25, 2024, HL7428 operated flight OZ712 from Taipei Taoyuan to Seoul Incheon — and that was the end. The flight was Asiana Airlines' last commercial service with a Boeing 747-400 passenger aircraft, and it marked the end of 747 passenger operations in South Korea entirely. HL7428 — MSN 28552, line number 1196, delivered June 18, 1999 — had been Asiana's longest-serving 747 in passenger configuration. When it pulled into the gate at ICN that morning, the carrier's widebody 747 chapter, which had defined its Pacific routes since the early 1990s, was formally closed. The aircraft was retired and subsequently disassembled within 2024.

SQ Wings' L2003 captures HL7428 in Asiana's classic livery: white fuselage, the airline's distinctive asymmetric tail design in deep blue, yellow-gold, and red-orange "Asi" brushstroke motif, a gray-to-red gradient on the lower rear fuselage, and "ASIANA AIRLINES" in black across the forward fuselage. The model also correctly shows the UNICEF logo beneath the "ASIANA AIRLINES" text — Asiana maintained a long-term UNICEF fundraising partnership, and the logo appeared on aircraft throughout the 2000s–2010s. The Star Alliance logo appears near the cockpit, a membership that Asiana is scheduled to exit as the merger completes in 2026. L2003 is the only 1:200 alloy release of HL7428 from any manufacturer, and since the aircraft no longer exists, this model is the only three-dimensional diecast record of Asiana's last 747-400 passenger aircraft.

Aircraft record — HL7428: MSN 28552, delivered June 18, 1999. Operated Asiana's Pacific and Asian widebody routes for 25 years. Final flight: OZ712 Taipei–Seoul, March 25, 2024, as the last Asiana 747-400 passenger service. Retired and disassembled in 2024. No longer exists as an intact airframe.

The Last Asiana Giant: Asiana Airlines Airbus A380 HL7640 · 1:200 · JC Wings

Asiana Airlines operated six Airbus A380s — MSNs 148, 152, 157, 163, 230, and 242. HL7640, MSN 230, was delivered on October 25, 2016, the fifth of the six. When Korean Air CEO Walter Cho (Cho Won-tae) was asked about the A380's future under the merged entity, his answer was unambiguous: the combined A380 fleet — Korean Air's ten aircraft plus Asiana's six — would be retired within five years of merger completion, replaced by Boeing 787-9/10 and Airbus A350 deliveries. The retirement timeline was later extended to the early 2030s after new aircraft deliveries slipped, but the direction is unchanged. Every Asiana A380 flying today is flying with a sunset date already determined by corporate strategy.

JC Wings' XX20060 renders HL7640 with the full dual-deck fuselage in crisp white, Asiana's multi-tone tail (deep blue base blending into yellow-gold and red-orange), the gray-to-red gradient on the lower aft fuselage, and the "ASIANA AIRLINES" / red "7"-shaped brand mark on the forward fuselage. The model correctly represents the A380's full-length double row of windows on both decks — the visual signature of the type that no single-deck aircraft can replicate. The UNICEF and Star Alliance markings are also present. At 1:200, the A380's 72.7m fuselage becomes a 36cm model with a 50cm wingspan. XX20060 is the only 1:200 diecast release of HL7640 currently in production; once Asiana's A380 fleet retires and the brand disappears in 2026, Asiana A380 models in active livery will have no new production counterpart.

Aircraft record — HL7640: MSN 230, delivered October 25, 2016. One of six Asiana A380s. Currently active on routes including Seoul–Los Angeles, Seoul–Bangkok, and Seoul–Taipei. The combined Korean Air / Asiana A380 fleet of 16 aircraft is scheduled for retirement by the early 2030s as 787-10 and A350 deliveries accelerate.

Collector Reference — Korean Air & Asiana Merger Models

Model No.	Aircraft · Reg · Scale	Livery Era	Best For
D11	Boeing 747-8i · HL7630 · 1:400	2019 Children's Drawing Contest	Special livery collectors; KAL 50th anniversary
L2053	Boeing 747-8i · HL7633 · 1:200	2017–2024 Sky Blue	747-8 fleet completists; SQ Wings 1:200
L2052	Boeing 747-8i · HL7630 · 1:200	2015–2019 Sky Blue (pre-mural)	First 747-8i delivered; pre-SAOC record
L2140	Boeing 787-10 · HL8572 · 1:200	2025– Sky Blue	Post-merger fleet; 787-10 early deliveries
L2150	Boeing 787-10 · HL8515 · 1:200	2024– Sky Blue	First 787-10 delivered to KAL; type introduction
SA2090	Boeing 777-300ER · HL8008 · 1:200	2015–2025 Sky Blue (pre-rebrand)	777 fleet backbone; pre-merger livery record
NG07044	Boeing 747SP · HL7457 · 1:400	Pre-1984 Korean Air Lines Classic	Historical KAL livery; 747SP variant collectors
L2003	Boeing 747-400 · HL7428 · 1:200	Asiana Classic (retired 2024)	Last Asiana 747-400; aircraft no longer exists
XX20060	Airbus A380 · HL7640 · 1:200	2016– Asiana Classic (retiring ~2030s)	Asiana brand end-era; A380 double-deck

The minimum meaningful set for a merger-focused collection is three models: NG07044 (the pre-1984 Korean Air Lines starting point), L2003 (the Asiana type that ended first), and either L2052 or D11 (the 747-8i generation that represented Korean Air at the moment of the merger). Together these three span Korean aviation from 1981 to 2024 across both carriers.

For collectors focused on the Korean Air fleet specifically, the four SQ Wings 1:200 releases — L2052, L2053, L2140, L2150 — form a coherent sub-set produced on two toolings (747-8i and 787-10) that document the transition from the outgoing 747 generation to the incoming 787-10 generation within a single brand identity. L2052 and L2053 are the two aircraft already transferred to the U.S. military; L2140 and L2150 are early examples of the aircraft replacing them.

A complete nine-model set covering both carriers from the 1981 747SP era through the current 787-10 deliveries would include all items in the table above, with XX20060 and L2003 representing the only available 1:200 options for their respective Asiana types — neither registration has been produced at 1:200 by any other manufacturer.

FAQ

Has the Korean Air–Asiana merger been completed?

The stock acquisition phase is complete. Korean Air finalized the purchase of a 63.9% stake in Asiana Airlines on December 12, 2024, making Asiana a wholly-owned subsidiary. Full operational integration — unified IT systems, single operating certificate, seat numbering alignment — is scheduled to complete by December 2026, at which point the Asiana brand will cease to exist as an independent entity.

What will happen to the Asiana Airlines name and livery?

The Asiana brand is scheduled to be officially retired between December 2026 and January 2027. Aircraft will progressively be repainted in the Korean Air livery (the updated Lippincott-designed identity unveiled in March 2025). The Asiana Club frequent-flyer program will be merged into Korean Air's SKYPASS, with miles converting at 1:1 for flight miles and 1:0.82 for credit card partner miles.

What is the SQ Wings brand and how does it differ from JC Wings or NG Models?

SQ Wings is a Shenzhen-based manufacturer that produces exclusively at 1:200 scale in alloy. The brand's origins are linked to DPM (东莞市典范模型制品有限公司), which previously manufactured for JC Wings before establishing an independent production line. SQ Wings releases are generally positioned at the higher end of 1:200 production on detail fidelity and casting quality. JC Wings also produces at 1:200 (alongside 1:400 and 1:500) and has broader scale coverage; NG Models focuses primarily on 1:400.

Are the two Boeing 747-8i aircraft sold to the U.S. military still available as models?

Yes. HL7630 and HL7633 were sold to Sierra Nevada Corporation in May 2024 for the U.S. Air Force SAOC program, but the diecast models were produced while both aircraft were still in Korean Air service. L2052 (HL7630, 1:200, SQ Wings), L2053 (HL7633, 1:200, SQ Wings), and D11 (HL7630 in Children's Drawing Contest livery, 1:400, YY Wings) all remain available.

What happened to Asiana's Boeing 747-400 fleet?

Asiana operated the 747-400 on Pacific and Asian routes through the 2000s and 2010s. HL7428 (MSN 28552) was the last passenger example; it operated its final flight — OZ712 Taipei–Seoul on March 25, 2024 — before retirement. The aircraft was subsequently disassembled. L2003 (SQ Wings, 1:200) is the only alloy diecast that records this registration.

Will Asiana's A380 aircraft continue flying under the Korean Air brand?

Currently, Asiana operates six A380s (including HL7640, MSN 230) and these continue to fly under the Asiana brand while the integration is ongoing. Korean Air CEO Walter Cho has confirmed the combined A380 fleet (16 aircraft total) will be retired by the early 2030s, replaced by 787-10 and A350 orders. No confirmed sale or lease transfer to another operator has been announced.

Is the Korean Air Sky Blue livery changing with the merger?

Yes. On March 11, 2025, Korean Air unveiled a refreshed identity designed by Lippincott. The new livery retains the sky-blue upper fuselage but updates the taegeuk roundel (replacing the red element with a deep-blue single-stroke design) and strengthens the "KOREAN" wordmark. The first aircraft to appear in the new livery included HL8008 (777-300ER). Models produced before 2025 — including SA2090, the JC Wings 1:200 of HL8008 — record the pre-rebrand Sky Blue configuration.

What is the Korean Air Children's Drawing Contest and how many editions has it had?

The contest, formally titled "내가 그린 예쁜 비행기" (My Beautiful Airplane Drawing), began in 2009 and invites Korean primary-school students to submit artwork. The winning designs are applied as full-fuselage wraps on operational Korean Air aircraft. As of 2019, eleven editions had been held. The 11th-edition aircraft was Boeing 747-8i HL7630, wrapped with the theme "Go Together! Happy World with Korean Air" to coincide with Korean Air's 50th anniversary. This livery is recorded in diecast form by YY Wings as model number D11.

References

1. AussieAirliners.org — Korean Air Boeing 747SP HL7457 Fleet History
2. Boeing Mediaroom — Korean Air Receives First 747-8 Intercontinental (HL7630), August 25, 2015
3. Reuters — Sierra Nevada Corporation wins U.S. Air Force SAOC Contract, May 8, 2024
4. Korean Air Newsroom — 11th Children's Drawing Contest Livery Announcement, 2019
5. Airways Magazine — Asiana Airlines Retires Boeing 747-400 Fleet, March 2024
6. Lippincott — Korean Air Brand Identity Rebrand, March 2025
7. Wikipedia — Merger of Korean Air and Asiana Airlines
8. Simple Flying — Korean Air Plans to Retire Combined A380 Fleet Post-Merger
9. Airfleets.net — Korean Air Fleet History
10. Korea JoongAng Daily — Asiana seat numbering alignment with Korean Air, March 23, 2026