November Regional Air Routes Open... 'Gimhae~Saipan·Guam' Flights Resume

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 24th that, following the unification of international flights at Incheon Airport implemented since April last year, international flights at regional airports, which had been suspended for 1 year and 7 months, will be gradually resumed next month for those who have completed COVID-19 vaccination and possess quarantine exemption certificates.

Vaccination completion refers to domestic and foreign nationals who have received two doses of Pfizer, Moderna, or AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccines, or one dose of the Janssen vaccine, at least two weeks prior to their entry date into Korea.

Quarantine exemption certificate holders refer to domestic and foreign nationals who possess a quarantine exemption certificate issued by overseas diplomatic missions for urgent and unavoidable entry due to important business, academic, public interest, or humanitarian purposes.

According to the Ministry, international flights at Gimhae Airport will first be expanded starting as early as the end of next month.

Gimhae Airport, which had been operating international flights once a week, will increase the utilization of currently operating Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine (CIQ) services to add two weekly flights on the Gimhae?Saipan route and one weekly flight on the Gimhae?Guam route. Airlines for each route will be selected later.

Symptomatic individuals will be tested at the PCR testing facility within Gimhae Airport, and confirmed cases will be transferred to nearby treatment facilities in Busan for treatment and isolation.

In December, when herd immunity is expected to be established, if there is demand for international flights at Daegu, Cheongju, and Muan airports, pilot operations of 3 to 5 flights per week will be conducted at each airport after consultations with quarantine authorities and related agencies regarding the resumption of CIQ operations, with plans to gradually expand thereafter.

During the Lunar New Year holiday next year, when overseas passenger demand is expected to increase further, the Ministry will consult with related agencies to determine appropriate flight scales and timings for international flights at Gimpo, Jeju, and Yangyang airports, considering demand and CIQ operational status.

Kim Yong-seok, Director of Aviation Policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, stated, "Starting with the increased Gimhae Airport Saipan and Guam routes, the expansion of international flights at regional airports will greatly improve overseas travel convenience for local residents."