Air Seoul posts its best-ever operating profit in Q1

Air Seoul posted a record operating profit in the first quarter, the budget carrier announced Thursday.

The subsidiary of the cash-strapped Asiana Airlines posted 11 billion won ($9.8 million) in operating profit, a 350.1-percent increase from the 2.4 billion won it made during the same period a year ago.

Its sales stood at 74 billion won, a 34.3-percent jump from 55.1 billion won on year.

Aggressive advertisements on popular flight routes, offering low prices to raise recognition and efficient organizational management, including cost reduction, contributed to the achievement, according to the company.

Air Seoul plans to deploy two additional aircrafts this year and will start flying new routes, including to Hanoi, Vietnam.

The company says it will maintain its strategy of providing low flight fares.

By Jin Min-ji