"Routes not applied for by other airlines are generally allocated to the airline that applied exclusively"
[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Je-hoon] Jeju Air has issued a clarification denying claims that it received preferential treatment during the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's allocation of air route traffic rights in relation to its acquisition and merger (M&A) with Eastar Jet.
On the 14th, Jeju Air released a statement saying, "Of the 11 routes allocated to Jeju Air during the Ministry's traffic rights distribution in May, 9 routes were sole applications with no other airlines applying, so there was no preferential treatment."
Previously, the Eastar Jet Pilots Union had revealed that as the M&A between the two companies stalled, "Jeju Air received preferential treatment by being allocated 11 out of 25 routes during the traffic rights distribution."
Jeju Air responded, "Typically, when other airlines do not apply for certain routes, the Ministry directly allocates the traffic rights to the applying airline," adding, "In May, Jeju Air applied for 13 routes, of which 4 were competitive routes and 9 were non-competitive sole applications."
According to Jeju Air, during the traffic rights allocation in February, T'way Air also applied solely for and was allocated traffic rights for Singapore fifth freedom (two-point fifth freedom), Singapore intermediate fifth freedom, Thailand fifth freedom (two-point fifth freedom), and Thailand intermediate fifth freedom routes. Jeju Air emphasized again, "Especially, the six fifth freedom routes claimed by the Eastar Jet Pilots Union were only applied for and allocated to Jeju Air, so there was no preferential treatment."
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