Korean Air Pilots Union has filed for labor dispute mediation after 30 rounds of negotiations over the 2024 collective agreement and 2025 wage agreement failed to resolve how pilots will be ranked by seniority ahead of Korean Air's December merger with Asiana Airlines. The dispute affects about 2,600 pilots because seniority determines captain-promotion timing, base pay and senior-captain and chief-captain allowances. The union says Korean Air breached Article 24 of its collective agreement by preparing the ranking system unilaterally, while the company says promotion criteria are a management prerogative and that its plan does not disadvantage Korean Air pilots. A key disagreement involves different hiring thresholds for civilian-background pilots: Korean Air required 1,000 flight hours, compared with 300 at Asiana. Mediation can last up to 30 days, and failed mediation would give the union legal strike rights following an April strike vote. Any walkout would be Korean Air's first since 2016, although aviation's essential-public-service designation would require minimum operations to continue.