The country's antitrust regulator said Tuesday it will accelerate its review of a deal by Korean Air, the country's biggest carrier, to buy the debt-ridden Asiana Airlines. In November 2020, Korean Air inked a deal to acquire a 63.88 percent stake in its smaller rival Asiana Airlines, a deal valued at 1.8t won ($1.5b) that could create the world's 10th-largest airline by fleet numbers. The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) said in its 2022 policy plan that it will "swiftly and closely" review Korean Air's takeover and other deals aimed at industrial restructuring. "We expect the FTC to hold a deliberation session to make a decision in January or February," Kim Jae-shin, vice chief of the regulator, told a press briefing. The commission recently sent a report to Korean Air, which a company official said detailed conditions for approval of the takeover. Korean Air said it was closely reviewing the commission's report. The flagship carrier will have four weeks to review it, according to the regulator. If approved, the takeover is expected to reshape the country's airline sector that has been reeling from the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.<br/>