KAI Holds Quality Improvement Seminar with Partners... Building a Win-Win Growth Ecosystem

Three Core Strategies: Preventive Quality, Expert Personnel, and Inspection System

40 Partners Including KF-21 and LAH Projects Participate and Share Best Practices

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) announced on the 3rd that it held the KAI-Partner Quality Improvement Seminar at its headquarters in Sacheon, Gyeongnam on the 2nd, with the aim of enhancing cooperation and strengthening quality competitiveness with its partners.

On the 2nd, at the KAI headquarters in Sacheon, Gyeongnam, stakeholders are taking a commemorative photo during the '2026 KAI-Partner Quality Improvement Seminar.' KAI

The event was attended by Kim Hyungsoo, Head of KAI’s Quality Division, as well as representatives from 40 partner companies involved in next-generation Korean aircraft programs such as the KF-21 and Light Armed Helicopter (LAH), and in commercial aircraft projects for Airbus and Boeing.

This seminar was organized to share KAI’s major quality strategies and the quality innovation cases from its partners.

On this day, KAI presented its three main quality strategies for the year, aimed at securing customer-centric quality competitiveness.

First, KAI plans to assess risks in the production process and strengthen quality gates for vulnerable processes. A proactive risk management system will be put in place, enabling the early identification of on-site risk factors, immediate executive reporting, and swift action.

Additionally, to nurture expert personnel, KAI will assign specialized engineers to each firm and expand support for quality education and certification acquisition, aiming to elevate technical capabilities across the aviation industry.

KAI also plans to improve its quality inspection system. For vulnerable processes, KAI will directly enhance inspections, while for stabilized processes, partner companies will be granted greater autonomy. This approach aims to boost operational efficiency and foster a foundation for autonomous quality management.

During the seminar, awards were also presented to encourage voluntary quality improvement initiatives among partners. In the Quality Innovation Competition, six companies that won gold, silver, and bronze prizes presented their exemplary practices and shared on-site quality improvement know-how.

The gold prize was awarded to JN Aviation; the silver prizes went to Yulgok and Hana Aerodynamics; and the bronze prizes were given to HIZE Composite, CNRI, and HIZE Aviation.

The seminar also featured the “Best Quality Partner” awards for companies that helped prevent major quality incidents and contributed to achieving quality goals through active improvement efforts, as well as awards for outstanding partner companies recognized for their exemplary quality management and performance.

Kim Hyungsoo, Head of KAI’s Quality Division, stated, “Win-win cooperation is a key driving force for improving quality and achieving shared growth in the aerospace industry. Since even a minor defect directly affects customer trust and corporate survival, quality issues are a crucial challenge for both KAI and its partners.” He added, “Moving forward, we will continue to work hand in hand with our partners to address quality issues in the field, making tireless efforts to create a stronger quality ecosystem throughout the aerospace industry.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.