Asiana to temporarily resume Fukuoka to Incheon service

An Asiana Airlines plane is parked at Incheon International Airport on Monday. [NEWS1]

Asiana Airlines is temporarily resuming its Fukuoka-Incheon route, the company announced Monday.

According to Asiana Airlines, it will be the first Korean carrier to depart from Fukuoka since Japan imposed travel restrictions in March.

The flights, which will run on the 13th and 28th of the month, will leave Fukuoka at 11 a.m. and arrive at Incheon International Airport at 12:30 p.m. The Incheon-Fukuoka flight, however, will operate without any passengers due to current travel restrictions.

The decisions had been made in close cooperation between the airline company, Korea’s consul general in Fukuoka and the Korea Tourism Organization’s Fukuoka branch, according to a statement from Asiana Airlines. It aims to help Koreans who are currently in Fukuoka and have been unable to return to Korea due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We scheduled two one-way flights to ease the inconveniences of overseas Koreans and students studying [in Fukuoka],” said a spokesperson for Asiana Airlines.

Asiana Airlines currently operates two flights to Japan: Tokyo and Osaka. It also said it will resume additional flights to Japan according to the ongoing situation.

Asiana Airlines says it is making continuous efforts to support people living and studying overseas and will work to resume other routes.

BY CHEA SARAH [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]