Star Alliance will open a dedicated lounge at Incheon International Airport in the fourth quarter of 2026, ensuring eligible passengers can continue to access premium lounge facilities after Asiana Airlines leaves the alliance as part of its integration with Korean Air.
The new arrangement follows a Memorandum of Understanding signed between Star Alliance and Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC), covering the establishment of a Star Alliance-branded lounge at Terminal 1. The agreement is intended to maintain lounge access for eligible passengers travelling with Star Alliance member airlines during a significant change to the alliance’s presence at the South Korean airport.
Asiana Airlines is scheduled to leave Star Alliance on December 16, 2026, as its integration with Korean Air progresses. Until then, eligible Star Alliance passengers travelling through Incheon can use Asiana Airlines lounges at the airport. The new agreement provides for the existing Asiana Airlines Business Lounge (West) in Terminal 1 to be converted into a Star Alliance lounge.
Operations are expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026, coinciding with Asiana’s departure from the alliance. For passengers, the change is designed to avoid a gap in premium lounge services as the airline’s status within Star Alliance comes to an end.
The move also reflects the importance of Incheon International Airport to Star Alliance’s international network. The airport ranked as the world’s number one airport for international passenger traffic in the first half of 2026, according to the information provided by the airport and Star Alliance.
Fourteen Star Alliance member airlines currently operate at Incheon, connecting passengers to 29 destinations worldwide. Maintaining a dedicated lounge at Terminal 1 allows the alliance to retain a physical presence at one of its major Asian gateways while continuing to serve passengers travelling on its member airlines.
For Star Alliance, the new facility will also expand its portfolio of dedicated lounges. The Incheon lounge will become the alliance’s seventh lounge worldwide, joining its existing locations at Paris Charles de Gaulle, Los Angeles International Airport and Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, among others. Eligible customers of Star Alliance member airlines can also access more than 1,000 airport lounges globally through the alliance’s wider lounge network.
The agreement was signed by representatives of Star Alliance and IIAC, with customer experience and operational continuity at the centre of the partnership.
Ambar Franco, Vice President Customer Experience at Star Alliance, said the agreement reflects the importance of Incheon as a gateway for the alliance and the need to maintain a consistent experience for passengers travelling with its member airlines.
Kim Chang-gyu, Chief Operation Officer at Incheon International Airport Corporation, said the agreement forms part of efforts to maintain stable and high-quality passenger services during changes involving the integration of Asiana Airlines and Korean Air. He also said IIAC would support operations and facilities at Terminal 1 as Star Alliance member airlines develop their networks there.
The new lounge will therefore represent more than a change in branding for an existing airport facility. It will provide Star Alliance with a dedicated base at Incheon at a point when the alliance is losing one of its established airline members and its associated lounge access arrangement.
For passengers travelling through Terminal 1, the practical change is expected to be relatively straightforward: eligible Star Alliance customers will continue to have access to a dedicated premium lounge after Asiana Airlines’ departure from the alliance. The transition also gives the airport and Star Alliance a way to maintain continuity while the wider Korean Air and Asiana integration reshapes the airline landscape at Incheon.
