Flights to Prague to increase in light of Korea-Czech nuclear plant project

Korea and the Czech Republic have agreed to expand flights to seven weekly as the two countries expect more frequent traffic with the upcoming nuclear power plant project in Dukovany.

Night view of Prague castle and Charles Bridge over Vltava river in Prague, Czech Republic [JOONGANG PHOTO]

Korea and the Czech Republic agreed to expand bilateral traffic rights for flights from four to seven weekly, the Korean Transport Ministry said Friday, as part of a broader effort to support the two countries' $17 billion nuclear reactor project in the European nation.

The decision was reached during a Korea-Czech aviation meeting held in Prague from Wednesday to Thursday, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said.

Traffic rights, determined through intergovernmental negotiations, are allocated by each country's government to their respective airlines.

The expansion agreement marks the first increase in traffic rights between Korea and the Czech Republic in 26 years, as they had been fixed at four weekly flights since 1998.

The Czech Republic is currently connected to Korea by a single direct route — Korean Air's Incheon-Prague service, which was launched in May 2004 and has carried 1.5 million people. Czech Airlines operated flights from June 2013 for about seven years, but the service was suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, a codeshare agreement with Korean Air remains in place, which allows travelers to book flights and accumulate mileage through Korean Air when traveling to a third European country via Prague on Czech Airlines.

Over 100 Korean companies, particularly in the automotive and semiconductor sectors, are present in the Czech Republic.

On Wednesday, a consortium led by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) was selected as the preferred bidder to build two nuclear reactors in Dukovany.

The aviation meeting was part of the consortium's "industrial cooperation package," aimed at supporting its bid for the nuclear project, the ministry explained.

"The increase in traffic rights will enhance aviation cooperation and facilitate broader economic, cultural and human exchanges mediated by our nuclear cooperation," said Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Park Sang-woo. "We will continue to identify promising cooperation projects and exert every effort as Team Korea to ensure successful contract negotiations between KHNP and the Czech authorities."

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]