Asiana Airlines board to reconvene to vote on cargo biz sell

The board of Asiana Airlines Inc., South Korea's second-largest air carrier, plans to reconvene Thursday to vote on whether to sell its cargo business, as Korean Air Co. seeks to win antitrust approval from European Union regulators for the takeover of its smaller rival.

The meeting comes three days after the board of directors failed to reach a conclusion amid disagreements over the sell-off of the business division.

If the board votes to sell the cargo business, it would give Korean Air Co., the larger of the two full-service carriers, a better chance at winning a nod from the European Commission, the EU's executive body, for its takeover of Asiana Airlines.

The EU antitrust regulators have raised concerns that Korean Air's acquisition of Asiana may restrict competition in the markets for passenger and cargo air transport services between the EU and South Korea.

A rejection, on the contrary, could potentially dampen the prospects of the merger deal, which has been pursued for the past three years. (Yonhap)