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Air Busan to resume Qingdao route, but transiting through Incheon

Published: 15 Oct. 2020, 17:25

An Air Busan plane takes off. The budget carrier starts flying its Busan-Qingdao route on Thursday. [AIR BUSAN]

Air Busan is resuming its Busan-Qingdao route, the company announced Thursday.

According to Air Busan, the budget carrier — 44.17 percent owned by Asiana Airlines — will be the first Korean carrier to start flying an international route from Gimhae International Airport after the airport halted all overseas flights due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The flight, which will run every Thursday, will leave Gimhae International Airport ‪at ‬10:35 a.m. and arrive in Qingdao, China, ‪at 11:35 a.m.‬

The Qingdao-Busan route, however, will arrive at Gimhae International Airport, but no passengers will be able to get off the plane. After refueling, it will fly to Incheon International Airport and land there as all international flights into Korea must land at Incheon for quarantine protocols.

The first Busan-Qingdao flight on Oct. 15 was fully booked, according to the airline.

“The Busan-Qingdao flight will be a great help to people who run businesses and students who need to move [to Qingdao],” the airline said in a statement. “With the relaxed Level 1 social distancing rules, we hope entry to Gimhae International Airport will be allowed as soon as possible.”

BY CHEA SARAH [[email protected]]