T'way Air transforms into Trinity Airways: South Korea's hybrid strategy

The South Korean airline T'way Air has officially received the go-ahead from its shareholders to rename itself Trinity Airways. This name change, approved by an overwhelming majority at the Annual General Meeting on March 31, 2026, marks much more than a simple cosmetic operation: it is the complete transformation of a low-cost carrier into a hybrid airline with global ambitions.

At its Annual General Meeting in Seoul on March 31, 2026, T'way Air turned a page in its sixteen-year history. Shareholders voted 99.2 % in favor of an amendment to the company's bylaws to change its corporate name. This unqualified approval reflects investors' confidence in the trajectory charted by the carrier's new owner, the Daemyung Sono hotel and tourism group.

The name «Trinity Airways» was not chosen at random. It comes from the Latin Trinitas - the trinity - and symbolizes, according to the company, a three-dimensional promise: flight, accommodation and travel, three pillars that the company now intends to unite in an integrated offering. It also resonates with the company's original name, T'way, whose «T» refers to the motto Together, Today and Tomorrow - together, today and tomorrow, according to Aviation.Direct.

No disruption for passengers

The timetable for the transition remains subject to approval by the aviation authorities, both Korean and international, a process which is expected to take several months. Pending official approval of the new name, the company will retain all its current attributes: IATA TW code, flight numbers, existing reservations and online services.

«As we transform into Trinity Airways, we will ensure a smooth transition and minimize disruption for our customers and the market.», said a company spokesman, quoted by Airways Magazine. Check-in counters will remain under the T'way Air banner until the official launch of the new brand.

The origins of a mutation: Daemyung Sono's entry

To understand this rebranding, we need to go back to February 2025. It was on this date that Daemyung Sono Group, South Korea's number-one hotel and resort group, took control of T'way Air by buying out the shares of the main shareholder, Yearim, for 250 billion won (around $174 million), according to Korea JoongAng Daily. The operation, validated by the Korean Competition Commission in June 2025, gave the group a total stake of 54.79 % in the company.

Group Chairman Seo Joon-hyuk said at the time that he wanted to «reborn as a safer, more reliable airline».»and «to establish itself as a global airline that satisfies both customers and employees through stable management».», reports Maeil Business Newspaper.

From low-cost to hybrid airline

Founded in 2004 as Hansung Airlines, then renamed T'way Air in 2010, the airline has long held second place in South Korea's low-cost carrier market, behind Jeju Air, with over 11 million passengers carried last year.

But Trinity Airways' strategy is no longer satisfied with the classic low-cost model. Inspired by Asian hybrid airlines such as AirAsia X and Scoot, the future Trinity Airways aims to combine competitive fares with a premium long-haul offer, with business class and premium economy cabins on board its long-haul aircraft, including the Airbus A330-200 and A330-300 already in service, as well as two Boeing 777-300ERs leased from Korean Air. Five Airbus A330-900s have also been ordered from leasing company Avolon to modernize the long-haul fleet.

On short- and medium-haul routes, the fleet of 26 Boeing 737-800s will be progressively reinforced by 20 Boeing 737 MAX 8s, with full delivery expected by 2027.

An expanding network

T'way Air's international expansion was made possible, in part, by the Korean Air-Asiana Airlines merger. In return for regulatory concessions, T'way Air received slots and traffic rights on several strategic routes, enabling it to operate to Europe and North America.

From its Incheon hub, the airline now serves 46 destinations worldwide, including Frankfurt, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Rome and Vancouver - the latter route inaugurated in July 2025. New routes to Bali and increased frequencies to Sydney are also planned.

Trinity Airways' stated aim is to couple these routes with Daemyung Sono's 18 hotels and over 11,000 rooms across Asia and beyond, to offer turnkey travel packages.