South Korean carrier Trinity Airways plans to procure 20,000 tonnes of CORSIA-eligible emissions units through NH Investment & Securities, according to a cooperation agreement the two companies signed on Sept. 21. NH Investment announced the deal Sept. 28.

The memorandum of understanding covers both international aviation credits under ICAO's Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation and South Korea's domestic emissions trading system, the K-ETS. NH Investment will handle carbon trading and market-analysis support, having received a domestic emissions-trading brokerage license last year, according to the company's announcement.

Trinity set an interim target of securing more than 10% of the credits it expects to need by the end of 2026. That date matters. The first CORSIA settlement deadline falls in January 2028, when operators with offsetting obligations must cancel eligible emissions units against their final requirements. Airlines that build holdings early reduce their exposure to procurement timing and market-access constraints closer to settlement.

The agreement signals how the compliance chain is assembling in South Korea. Trinity brings the offsetting obligation; NH Investment brings brokerage infrastructure and a license position in the K-ETS. The bank's role now extends to sourcing and managing international aviation credits, a segment that overlaps with but remains distinct from domestic Korean carbon trading.

The regulatory backdrop is moving. CORSIA's current framework covers a first phase running 2024 through 2026, followed by a second phase beginning in 2027. In its April 2026 materials, ICAO listed the programs approved to supply units for the relevant compliance periods. The organization continues to assess additional program supply for the 2027-2029 window, meaning the eligible unit pool is still expanding and under review.

That supply question sits at the center of procurement strategy. Under CORSIA, airlines meet applicable offsetting obligations by cancelling eligible emissions units — not merely holding them. Which programs qualify, and in what volumes, determines what carriers like Trinity can actually bank against their 2024-2026 pilot-phase obligations. The 20,000-tonne initial procurement represents a first tranche in that context, not a full compliance position.

For the Korean market, the deal also links two carbon regimes. The K-ETS operates as a domestic cap-and-trade system, while CORSIA obligations attach to international routes and settle in eligible international units. Trinity's agreement spans both, with NH Investment supporting the airline's participation in each.

The next milestones are fixed on the calendar. Trinity faces its self-imposed end-2026 target for the 10% threshold. ICAO faces continued program assessments for 2027-2029 supply. The January 2028 settlement deadline — when the first round of unit cancellations comes due — is the date that determines whether early procurement of this kind pays off.