Aircraft manufacturer Boeing announced that it has received an order from Korean Air expressing its intent to purchase 103 fuel-efficient aircraft. The deal, valued at approximately $36 billion USD, is considered the largest between Boeing and an Asian airline.

In a statement, Boeing said this deal aims to "modernize Korean Air's fleet and support its growth amid its full integration with Asiana Airlines in the coming few years."

It added that these anticipated sales represent the largest order in the company's history and the largest wide-body aircraft order from an Asian airline for Boeing. The sale is expected to support approximately 135,000 jobs across the United States.

For his part, Korean Air Chairman and CEO Walter Cho stated in remarks included in the announcement, "This agreement with our longstanding partners Boeing and General Electric represents a pivotal moment for Korean Air."

Cho added that acquiring these next-generation aircraft is "the core of our strategy to modernize our fleet, achieving significant gains in fuel efficiency and enhancing the passenger experience across our global network."

He noted that "this investment is a key factor enabling our future as an airline merged with Asiana to ensure our combined company becomes one of the most competitive airlines in the industry."

The agreement was signed during a South Korea-U.S. business roundtable meeting titled "Partnership for Industrial Renaissance," chaired by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and South Korea's Minister of Trade, Industry, and Energy Kim Jong-kwan.

According to Boeing's statement, Korean Air's orders and commitments for Boeing aircraft this year have exceeded 150 units, following an additional order for 40 aircraft placed by the company last March.

Korean Air currently operates 108 Boeing aircraft. With 72 Boeing aircraft already on order, the company's order book will rise to 175 aircraft once the current deal is finalized.

The signing of this deal coincided with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung's visit to the United States, where he held a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.