Asiana was established on February 17, 1988 and began operating in December 1988 with flights to Busan. It was founded by the Kumho Asiana Group as part of the South Korean government. The intention was to create a second major airline to build and the company was originally known as Seoul Air International.
Meanwhile, the Seoul government granted permission for up to 50 percent of the shares in foreign hands drop. Meanwhile, more than 30 percent of the company owned by private investors and 45 percent is owned by the Kumho Group.
In February 2006, Asiana announced that the company wanted to modernize. The name was replaced by Travel Class Economy Class and the colors of the interior would be refreshed. All staff also received new uniforms.
On April 18, 2007 Asiana was awarded five stars by Skytrax, something only five other companies can be said, Cathay Pacific, Kingfisher Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines.