‘Sacheon~Jeju’ Sky Route Reopens

From December 5, Jeju route operates 2 round trips on Saturdays and Sundays

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kang Sharon] Gyeongsangnam-do announced on the 27th that Hi Air will operate flights between Sacheon and Jeju twice daily every Saturday and Sunday starting December 5th, following the launch of the Sacheon?Gimpo route on September 25th.

Until the suspension of all routes at Sacheon Airport on March 2nd, Korean Air operated six round-trip flights on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays on the Jeju route, and Asiana Airlines operated four round-trip flights on Fridays and Sundays.

This Jeju route will be an irregular flight operating from December 5th until March 27th of next year. It will depart Sacheon Airport at 8:50 AM on Saturdays, arriving in Jeju at 9:50 AM, and depart Jeju at 4:20 PM on Sundays, arriving in Jeju at 5:30 PM, with two round trips operating daily on Saturdays and Sundays.

With international travel still limited and increasing demand for travel to Jeju, the province expects that this new Jeju route will alleviate the inconvenience experienced by residents who previously had to travel via Gimhae or Yeosu Airports.

Meanwhile, the Sacheon?Gimpo route launched on September 25th operates 20 round-trip regular flights five days a week, excluding Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Although the initial load factor was around 60%, it has now risen to a high 90%.

Residents of the innovation city, businesspeople from the western region, and western residents have expressed that the current number of flights is insufficient for revitalizing the local economy and securing a daily living zone in the metropolitan area, calling for an increase in flight frequency.

In response to these demands, Gyeongsangnam-do is currently negotiating with Hi Air to operate four round-trip flights daily on the Sacheon?Gimpo route starting January next year.

Heo Pil-young, Director of Balanced Development at Gyeongsangnam-do, stated, “The province will spare no support to stabilize the newly launched Jeju route, and we will actively consult with airlines, Sacheon Air Force officials, and related organizations to promptly expand operations on the Gimpo and Jeju routes.”