Gimpo-Haneda flights to take off every day starting July 25

Industry

Published: 19 Jul. 2022, 18:07

Gimpo-Haneda flights to take off every day starting July 25

A digital screen at Gimpo International Airport shows a flight to Haneda. [YONHAP]

Korean and Japanese airlines will offer flights to and from Gimpo and Haneda every day starting July 25, with the ministries of both countries agreeing to increase flight frequencies.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced Tuesday it made an agreement with Japan’s Transport Ministry to increase the frequency of flights going between Gimpo International Airport and Haneda Airport.

Korean Air Lines, Asiana Airlines, Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways each fly the route twice a week. Starting from July 25, the four airlines will fly every day, offering a total of 28 flights a week.

Flights along the Gimpo-Haneda route were discontinued from March 2020 due to the pandemic, but resumed again on June 29 after an agreement between the transport ministries of Korea and Japan.

Korean Air Lines will have Gimpo-Haneda flights every day starting July 25, leaving Gimpo International Airport at 9 a.m. Asiana Airlines will also fly the route every day, leaving Gimpo International Airport at 8:40 a.m.

Although the ministries agreed to offer more flights, the number still falls far behind that of pre-pandemic levels. In 2019, the four airlines flew the route a combined 84 times a week.

More routes will be added in the future.

“There is high demand for the Gimpo-Haneda route,” said a spokesperson for the Transport Ministry. “We expect the change to provide more options to tourists and business people visiting Japan through Haneda Airport.”

With flights to and from Gimpo and Haneda rising, other tourism-related companies are resuming business. Lotte Duty Free reopened its duty-free store in Ginza, Tokyo, on July 1. The reopening comes after being closed for two years and three months due to less travelers during the pandemic.

BY LEE TAE-HEE [lee.taehee2@joongang.co.kr]