SK Hynix Expands Stake in Corporate Aircraft Amid U.S. Business Growth

SK Hynix is increasing its ownership stake in corporate aircraft as part of a strategy to enhance its global business operations, particularly in the United States. This move reflects the growing demand for overseas business travel due to rapid expansion in international markets.

On June 26, SK Hynix announced that it will acquire shares in a corporate aircraft, an A319 (second unit), from SK Innovation and SK Telecom for approximately 24.9 billion won and 14.9 billion won, respectively. The total acquisition amount is about 39.8 billion won, aimed at improving 'global business efficiency.'

Industry analysts believe that the increased usage of corporate aircraft within the group is linked to the expansion of SK Hynix's operations in the U.S. A company representative stated, "As our global business grows and the management's overseas responsibilities increase, we aim to enhance the utilization of corporate aircraft."

Indeed, SK Hynix's business in the United States is rapidly expanding. Last year, the company's revenue from the U.S. reached 66.8851 trillion won, accounting for 68.9% of its total revenue of approximately 97 trillion won. Major clients, including Nvidia, AMD, Google, and Meta, are primarily based in the U.S., underscoring the growing importance of local operations. Analysts estimate that SK Hynix generated over 20 trillion won in revenue from Nvidia alone last year.

The company is also increasing its investments in the U.S. SK Hynix is currently constructing an advanced packaging plant in Indiana to handle high-bandwidth memory (HBM) post-processing for AI applications. Earlier this year, it established a U.S. subsidiary to oversee its AI solutions business. Additionally, the company is preparing for a listing of its American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) on the Nasdaq next month, further accelerating its efforts in the U.S. market.

Meanwhile, SK Innovation announced that it will transfer shares in another corporate aircraft, a G650 (third unit), to SK Square for approximately 13.8 billion won.