Eastar Jet to resume operations from March 26

Eastar Jet plane [YONHAP]

Eastar Jet will resume operations starting March 26 after three years of suspension, the company announced Tuesday.

Eastar Jet is set to resume services on March 26, starting with the flight on the Gimpo-Jeju route scheduled at 6:50 a.m. that day, the company said in a statement. Three Boeing 737-800 aircrafts will be added, operating 10 to 12 daily round trips between Gimpo and Jeju Island.

The summer flight schedule for 2023 will open on its website on March 13, with flight tickets available for purchase.

Eastar Jet said it will give away discount coupons for newly-registered people for seven days from Tuesday.

The budget carrier had suspended its flights on domestic and international routes since March 2020 due to financial difficulties and the pandemic, and its air operator certificate (AOC) became ineffective in May that year. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport reissued the AOC to the company on Feb. 28 after completing an inspection of safety operation.

Financially-troubled Eastar Jet was sold to VIG Partners, a private equity firm, in January this year.

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