Korean Air Resumes Hawaii Route
After 19 Months
Asiana Increases Bangkok Flights
October International Air Tickets Released
134% Surge Compared to Previous Month
As social distancing measures are eased with the phased return to normal life (With Corona), the domestic aviation industry is gradually resuming international flight routes that had been suspended.
According to the aviation industry on the 3rd, Korean Air will resume operations starting with the Honolulu (Hawaii) flight departing from Incheon at 8:35 PM. This marks the resumption after a 19-month suspension since April last year due to the impact of COVID-19. The Hawaii route will operate three times a week, including one regular flight and two charter flights. Following this, from the 9th, flights on the Incheon-Sydney and Incheon-Auckland routes will commence. The Incheon-Guam route is also planned to increase to four flights per week starting next month.
Asiana Airlines will also increase the Incheon-Bangkok route from three times a week to seven times a week starting this month. The Incheon-Fukuoka route will resume with one flight per week. Additionally, from next month, the Saipan route will be increased to twice a week. The Singapore route will also be gradually increased from three times a week to four times a week starting on the 20th of this month, and to five times a week from next month.
Major low-cost carriers (LCCs) are also gradually resuming their Southeast Asia routes.
Jeju Air will operate charter flights for golf tourism on the Incheon-Chiang Mai route starting from the 5th. From next month, it will begin the Bangkok route and is preparing to resume other major international routes such as Guam, Singapore, and Qingdao. T’way Air is also considering increasing the Incheon-Guam route from twice a week to four times a week and the Saipan route from once a week starting next month. Air Seoul will resume the Incheon-Guam route from next month and is recruiting passengers.
The reason the aviation industry is accelerating the resumption of international flights is that, with the increase in COVID-19 vaccination rates, travel demand is rapidly rising, especially in countries where quarantine exemptions are granted upon entry.
According to Interpark Tour, the total sales of international flight tickets last month surged by 134% compared to the previous month. During the same period, Oceania, including Guam and Hawaii, saw the largest increase at 466.7%, followed by Central and South America (284.6%), Europe (155.3%), and Southeast Asia (148%), all gaining popularity. Among major cities, travelers increased to popular honeymoon and resort destinations such as Guam (581.4%), Singapore (542.1%), Bangkok (292.3%), Hawaii (242.9%), and the Maldives (200%).
The government’s travel bubble agreement with Singapore, the second such agreement domestically, is also raising expectations for increased passenger demand. In particular, the Singapore travel bubble is expected to positively impact the hotel and rental car markets as inbound traveler demand to Korea is anticipated to rise.
An aviation industry official said, "As the government implements With Corona, we are preparing to resume flights centered on major tourist cities in anticipation of increasing passenger demand. Especially, activity is picking up mainly in Europe and countries exempt from self-quarantine."
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