Air Busan Resumes Busan~Qingdao Route After 8 Months... First Flight Fully Booked

Following the 'Incheon Airport Unified Entry' Guidelines, Related Procedures Will Be Conducted at Incheon Upon Arrival

[Asia Economy Reporter Yu Je-hoon] Air Busan is resuming its Busan-China Qingdao (靑島) route after an 8-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On the 15th, Air Busan announced that it will resume flights on the Busan-Qingdao route once a week (Thursdays). The Busan-Qingdao flight departs from Gimhae International Airport at 10:35 AM and arrives in Qingdao at 11:35 AM.

According to the government's 'Incheon International Airport quarantine unification' guidelines, the arriving flight on the Busan-Qingdao route will make a refueling stop at Gimhae Airport before taking off again to complete immigration procedures at Incheon Airport. The departing flight will take off from Gimhae Airport as usual.

Air Busan's Qingdao route is the first international route to resume operations from Gimhae Airport since the Incheon Airport immigration unification measure was implemented on April 6. The BX321 flight to Qingdao was fully booked on this day.

Air Busan expects many passengers from the metropolitan area as its Busan-Qingdao route is the only regular national carrier flight from Korea to Qingdao. To facilitate customers traveling from Gimpo to Busan and then to Qingdao, Air Busan also offers baggage transfer services at Gimpo International Airport.

An Air Busan official stated, "The resumption of this route will greatly benefit essential travelers such as businesspeople and international students," adding, "With social distancing eased to level 1 and the significant time and cost burden on local residents who must travel to Busan after arriving at Incheon, we hope that direct arrivals at Gimhae Airport will resume as soon as possible."