Air services to China being increased by Korean airlines

Planes at Jeju International Airport on Thursday [YONHAP]

Korean airlines are increasing services to China after the two countries agreed to increase flights on their routes to pre-pandemic levels.

Asiana Airlines, the country’s second-largest carrier, announced Thursday it will increase flights to China to 89 times weekly for 17 major Chinese routes.

Starting with the increase in the number of flights to Shenzhen on March 6, Asiana increased its Chinese flight services from 10 weekly flights on 9 routes to 25 weekly flights on 13 routes. It also resumed flights to China’s Guangzhou, Qingdao, Xi'an and Tianjin after three years of not flying to those places due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

For the 2023 summer season commencing March 26, Asiana will significantly expand its flights services to China. The carrier plans to increase Gimpo-Shanghai and Incheon-Yanji to seven times a week; Incheon-Shenzhen to three times a week; and Incheon-Tianjin, Incheon-Harbin, Incheon-Hangzhou, Incheon-Chengdu and Incheon-Xi'an to twice a week.

Beginning April 17, the carrier plans to relaunch flights to Dalian, Beijing and Changsha. After suspending the services during the pandemic, the carrier now plans to reintroduce these three destinations with four weekly frequencies Incheon-Dalian from April 17, seven-a-week Gimpo-Beijing and four-a-week Incheon-Changsha from April 24.

Asiana Airlines said it will increase operations of international flights from the previous 5 percent to 50 percent of pre-pandemic levels.

Korean Air Lines is also set to increase flights to major Chinese cities, including Beijing and Shanghai, from nine flights to 26 flights weekly. The company is planning to announce the detailed schedules late Thursday or on Friday, a spokesperson of Korean Air said Thursday.

Low-cost carriers (LCCs) are also expanding flights to China.

Air Busan announced Thursday it restarted flights between the southern port city of Busan and Qingdao and will operate one weekly frequency on the route every Thursday. The relaunch comes two months after the budget carrier suspended flights under the government’s Covid guidelines.

Air Busan had earlier resumed operations on the Busan-Yanji route to once a week, while it plans to increase the number of flights twice a week within this month.

The company said it is considering restarting services to Zhangjiajie, Xi'an and Sanya.

Before Covid-19, Air Busan operated 300 monthly flights and carried some 40,000 passengers. Flights to China were important, as 30 percent of all passengers departing to China from Busan's Gimhae International Airport were carried by Air Busan, the company said.

Jeju Air, another LCC, has announced it will increase flights between Incheon and Yanji from once to twice a week starting March 13.

International passengers surged from late 2022 as border controls were eased, but flights between Korea and China remained restricted due to the spread of the coronavirus in China.

In January, Korea suspended the issuance of short-term visas and required mandatory PCR tests for arrivals from China. Beijing responded by suspending short-term visa issuance for Koreans and implementing Covid-19 tests for travelers coming from Korea, excluding its own nationals, in a tit-for-tat move.

Passengers on flights between Korea and China dropped to 105,000 in January, only 7.6 percent of 1.38 million passengers in January 2019.

The expansion of the Korea-China flights comes as Korea resumes issuing short-term visas for Chinese visitors and lifts the PCR test requirement, and China also eases the restrictions.

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