Korean Air’s Asiana Bid Faces In-Depth EU Merger Probe (1)

Korean Air Lines Co.’s bid to acquire smaller South Korean rival Asiana Airlines Inc. for 1.8 trillion won ($1.4 billion) faces an in-depth merger review in the European Union after regulators expressed antitrust concerns.

The European Commission warned the deal “could eliminate potential competition in passenger transport services” between the EU region and South Korea and also that other firms “may be unlikely to exert sufficient competitive pressure on the merged entity” in cargo transport.

Korean Air Aims for Top-10 World Ranking With Asiana Deal

The EU probe, which was extended until July 5, will ensure the takeover “does ...