A thermally grown oxide layer formed by hot corrosion was investigated as an interface between plasma-sprayed coatings and a nickel-based superalloy substrate. The hot corrosion mechanism of NiCr–Cr2O3 and Al2O3–40wt% TiO2 (A40T) plasma coated Inconel 617 was evaluated. The experiments were carried out at 1000°C using a combination of Na2SO4, NaCl, and V2O5 salts to simulate the conditions of a gas turbine in a marine environment. The hot corrosion results revealed the spallation and dissolution of oxides upon prolonged exposure. Optical images and scanning electron micrographs of the exposed samples revealed the formation of oxide scale and provided details of its morphology in NiCr–Cr2O3 coated samples. Microstructure characterization of A40T coatings demonstrated a thermally grown oxide (TGO) layer at 1000°C. Increasing the thickness of the TGO layer decreased the corrosion resistance. The elemental analysis and image mapping revealed the migration of active elements from the substrate and coatings toward the corrosive environment.