Exclusive: Incheon-Lisbon charter service to become regular route, says Portuguese envoy

With bookings already exceeding expectations, the route will continue as a regular service starting in late October.

Susana Vaz Patto, the Portuguese ambassador to Korea, speaks during an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily on Aug. 21 at the temporary office of the Portuguese Embassy in Jongno District, central Seoul. [PARK SANG-MOON]

[INTERVIEW] Portugal is set to welcome direct flights from Incheon to Lisbon starting Sept. 11, operated by Korean Air, according to the European country's top diplomat to Seoul and the national carrier.

This marks the first time the two cities on opposite ends of the Eurasian continent will be directly connected since March 2020, when flights were halted due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The new route was established following strong advocacy from the Portuguese government, which had long hoped for a direct connection between the two nations.

The Incheon-Lisbon route will initially operate as a public charter under Korean Air, running three flights per week from Sept. 11 to Oct. 25. The decision to launch charter flights was to assess passenger demand, as a scheduled service would require the airline to maintain operations even if demand was low. However, with bookings already exceeding expectations, the route will continue as a regular service starting in late October.

"It starts as a charter flight and will become a regular flight very soon," Susana Vaz Patto, the Portuguese ambassador to Korea, said during an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily at her office in Seoul on Aug. 21. "The fact that the flights during the first weeks are already full is significant proof that the flights will succeed."

This new route is particularly noteworthy as it will be the only direct flight from Northeast Asia to Lisbon. Previously, travelers from Asia had to transfer through France or Spain to reach Lisbon, while the introduction of this direct route is expected to significantly improve the travel experience for passengers.

Lisbon is not only positioning itself as a major tourist destination but also as a hub for business travelers. Its location between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic makes it a gateway not only to Portugal but to Europe, as well as to Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa and South America. This boosts its appeal as an attractive base for businesspeople seeking to expand into these regions, Patto added.

Below are excerpts from the interview, edited for length and clarity.

Port wines in glasses with view of the Douro River in the city of Porto, Portugal [LOTTE TOUR]

Q : How was the decision to reopen the direct flight route between Incheon and Lisbon made?

A : It took us almost two years to get to this result. We right now [already] have better numbers of travelers going to Portugal than in 2019, when we had the Asiana Airlines' direct flight — meaning that even without a direct fight, Koreans want to travel to Portugal. So I think it was this data that convinced Korean Air the route would be a success. The fact that the flights during the first weeks are already full is significant proof that the flights will succeed. For the time being, it's a charter flight, but it will soon be a regular flight when the winter season starts. It had to start as a charter flight due to administrative and bureaucratic reasons. First, Korean Air asked the Portuguese authorities for the right to charter flights, and the Korean government later approved the direct transportation rights.

Q : Why was Seoul chosen as the destination among other northeast Asian cities like Tokyo or Beijing?

A : I must say the market in Korea is much better than the markets around South Korea, both for tourism and business travel. My tourist counselor tells me that Koreans travel more and have a stronger appetite for going abroad. For instance, Chinese travel a lot, but they tend to travel within their region. [Tourists from Northeast Asia] will probably use Seoul as a hub to go to Portugal, and since Lisbon is also a hub for many people in Africa, Brazil or the east coast of the United States, it might also be helpful for business people or tourists to travel to these destinations.

The Dom Luis I Bridge and the Douro River in the city of Porto, Portugal [LOTTE TOUR]

Q : What do you think makes Portugal particularly appealing to Korean tourists despite being the farthest European destination from Korea?

A : There are a million reasons to go to Portugal. You can do wine tours in Porto around the Douro Valley to discover the vineyards, you can do gastronomic tours, you can go for religious reasons to Fatima. In many parts of the country, you can golf, hike and trek — activities Koreans enjoy. I also think that Portuguese people are very welcoming and like to interact with foreigners. The region around Lisbon is very pretty. The castles in Sintra are extremely pretty. I know that Koreans have a soft spot for Porto. Between Porto and Lisbon, there is the city of Coimbra, which has a fantastic, very old university that is magnificent and very worthwhile to visit. And then in the south, I would say Evora and Sagres are very pretty cities that deserve a visit.

Q : In which sectors do you think Korean companies would do well in Portugal?

A : While bilateral relations had long been based on common values such as democracy, human rights and multilateralism, there was a lack of economic and trade exchanges. These were boosted by the visit of our former prime minister in April 2023, and the Portuguese government welcomes that very much. I would definitely say you are top-notch in the automotive and semiconductor sectors. But I guess that there are others, for instance, CS Wind that builds wind towers to export to other countries in Europe and to the United States. Since we are very strong on renewable energies and wind energy, I think it also makes sense to have a partnership with Korea in those areas. Examples of Korean companies doing great in Portugal, such as CS Wind and Hanwha Solutions, should send a good message to others still discovering Portugal. We believe that Hyundai or Kia, for instance, would gain a lot by closely looking at the opportunities that Portugal has to offer.

View of a hybrid power park with solar panels and wind turbines in Sabugal, Portugal. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Q : What kind of support measures or incentives can Portugal offer to Korean companies?

A : I think that our main success is that we have a skilled, high-qualified workforce with a strong capacity for adaptation. We also have a stable environment, both politically and economically. We have a privileged location facing the Atlantic Ocean and excellent connections with South America, Africa and the East Coast of the United States. CS Wind exports directly to the United States through the Port of Aveiro. Not many countries can offer such fantastic spots for exporting the plant's production. The government has also been developing policies to support the technology sector through tax incentives and innovation subsidies for companies that want to produce in Portugal. There are also funding programs for startups or research and development projects. So, I think that all this creates an interesting and welcoming environment for companies.

Participants of the Korean-Portuguese Business Forum, including Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chey Tae-won, third from left in the front row, and Prime Minister of Portugal Antonio Costa, fourth from left in the front row, pose for a photo at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jongno District, central Seoul, on April 12, 2023. [YONHAP]

Q : During former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa's 2023 visit to Korea, he highlighted Portugal's leadership in the renewable energy sector, particularly its large lithium reserves, and the potential for collaboration with Korea in electric vehicle (EV) battery production. Could the recent concerns over EV fires and the rise of EV phobia in Korea affect this potential partnership?

A : Hopefully not. I understand incidents have frightened people, but I strongly believe that this [EV phobia] is just temporary. Incidents like this happen with cars, with planes, with boats — we'll have to calm down and wait for the results of the investigations, to see what was wrong with these EV models and hope for the best.

Q : Portugal is known for its successful pro-immigration policies, often called "Europe's last open door for immigrants." What are some concrete examples of these policies and their outcomes?

A : We have, indeed, a successful pro-immigration policy. Maybe because, in the past, we were a country of sailors and migrants, and we welcomed people from Africa, South America and Asia and integrated them into Portuguese society. We have been around the world since the 15th century, so we get along well with different cultures and ways of living. Not all countries like ours have this history of exchanges — going around the world, meeting other cultures and being at ease with them. History has made us like this. We also developed a legal framework to welcome these migrants. For instance, a multilateral agreement recently signed with Portuguese-speaking countries established easier procedures for citizens from these countries to get residence permits and visas to live in Portugal. This policy has worked well in Portugal. We have a large Brazilian and African community, but also people from Nepal, Pakistan, India, the Philippines and many other countries. We also help refugees from around the world, including people fleeing the war in Ukraine.

Susana Vaz Patto, the Portuguese ambassador to Korea, poses for a photo after an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily on Aug. 21 at the temporary office of the Portuguese Embassy in Jongno District, central Seoul. [PARK SANG-MOON]

Q : While Korea is tackling challenges with its population decline and the world's lowest birthrate, what lessons or insights can Korea learn from Portugal’s pro-immigration policies?

A : I would only like to speak about our own experiences and share them with other countries because I believe that each country has its own specificities, and what is appropriate for Portugal may not be appropriate for South Korea. I know that Korean authorities are dealing with the problem [of low birthrates] and have this experimental program with the Philippines caregivers, so let's hope that they will be able to deal with this problem very soon in the best possible way and that the program will succeed.

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