Airlines boost Korea-Canada services as demand for flights skyrockets

Airlines are fighting harder than ever to win passengers on Korea-Canada routes as demand for flights between the two countries soars.

An Air Canada plane taxis at Pearson International Airport in Toronto, Canada in May 2022. [REUTERS]

Airlines are fighting harder than ever to win passengers on Korea-Canada routes as demand for flights between the two countries soars.

Air Canada, the North American country’s flag carrier, opened its first Korean office some 30 years after service between Korea and Canada began and increased the number of flights between the two countries. Domestic airlines are also responding by increasing the number of flights and introducing new plane models to the route.

Air Canada held a ceremony on Wednesday at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jongno District, central Seoul, to celebrate 30 years of Korean flight services and the launch of its Korean branch office.

The airline opened a branch office in the country as the market grew significantly, upgrading its presence from the distributing agency it opened after starting services in 1994. Air Canada has its Asia-Pacific business headquarters in Tokyo and branches in Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong.

Rocky Lo, managing director of international sales at Air Canada [AIR CANADA]

Rocky Lo, managing director of international sales at Air Canada, said in an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo that Air Canada’s first flight stop in Asia was Korea, indicating the country's importance in the Asian market.

Customized services can now be provided for Korean travelers from the Korean branch, Lo said.

The director also remarked on the rapid changes in Korea's aviation industry over the last 30 years, pointing to the upsurge in demand for overseas travel in the 1990s and intensified competition in the market after low-cost carriers started operating.

The number of passengers on the trans-Pacific route rose 74 percent from 2015 to 2023. [KIM JEONG-HEE]

Demand for flights between Korea and Canada has continuously risen. The number of passengers on the trans-Pacific route rose 74 percent from 431,928 in 2015 to 751,332 last year. While growth slumped between 2020 and 2022 due to Covid-19 travel restrictions, it has recovered to pre-pandemic levels since last year.

Chinese passengers have contributed to the increase. As fewer North America-bound flights leave China due to the United States’ conflict with China, they have been buying more tickets for layover flights departing from Korea to Canada before they make their final stop in the United States.

Korea’s stronger economic ties with Canada have also led to a bump in travel. According to Canada's statistics agency, Korea was the sixth-largest importer of Canadian goods last year, while Canada ranked eighth for Korean exports. Trade between the two countries amounted to $20.85 billion. Last year, the Canadian government announced its Indo-Pacific Strategy, strengthening its relationship with Korea as a strategic partner to mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

The aviation industry is matching the rise in demand. Air Canada increased the number of flights between Incheon and Toronto from six to seven a week from last winter. Passenger seats were increased from 298 to 400 on flights between Incheon and Vancouver from this summer. The company is also considering starting regular flights on the Incheon to Montreal route, which is currently scheduled to operate temporarily through October.

Korean Air's Boeing 787-9 [LOTTE TOUR]

In turn, Korean Air plans to protect its market position by introducing new planes such as the Boeing 787-9. The carrier recently also increased flights between Incheon and Toronto from six a week to seven and raised flights between Incheon and Vancouver from seven a week to 10.

T’way Air, the first domestic budget airline to offer long-distance flights, plans to launch services for Vancouver starting next year.

Customers welcome the competition between airlines.

“Consumers will naturally have better options as competition grows between the airlines,” said Lee Chae-ho, a business management professor at Dongguk University.

“Travelers have become smarter, and they can get information through multiple channels; airlines seem to be keeping this in mind as they fiercely compete to survive in the global market.”

BY KO SUK-HYUN [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]