Korean LCCs expand flight services to China, Japan, Southeast Asia

[Provided by Maekyung Media Group]

South Korean budget carriers are expanding flight services on routes to China, Japan and Southeast Asian countries amid a recovery in air travel demand in the post-Covid era.

According to industry sources on Monday, the country’s largest LCC Jeju Air Co. on Nov. 18 will reopen its weekly service on the route between Incheon, Korea and Harbin, China, suspended under virus pandemic.

Jeju Air will be operating two routes to China including the service to Weihai on Wednesdays with the addition

The new flight will depart from Incheon at 8:30 a.m. on Fridays and return from Harbin at 11:25 a.m. on the same day.

“The company is planning to expand services to Chinese cities, starting with the Harbin route,” said a Jeju Air official.

T’way Air Co. will also expand services to Japanese and Southeast Asian destinations, with promotional events. It has decided to add flights from Daegu of Korea to Hukuoka, Osaka and Tokyo of Japan, from Jeju Island and Busan to Osaka.

A long-haul route between Incheon and Sydney will be newly launched next month, along with with many other short-haul offerings to Asian cities such as Okinawa (from Incheon), Taipei (from Gimpo and Jeju), Cebu (from Daegu), Chiang Mai (from Incheon) and Vientiane (from Incheon).

With the expansion of international routes, promotional events for 19 Japanese and Southeast Asian routes will be run on Nov. 7-20.

Jeju Air shares closed 2.44 percent higher at 10,500 won in Seoul trading on Monday, and T’way Air 1.58 percent up at 1,610 won.

By Seong Seung-hoon and Lee Ha-yeon