"Everything Changed in a Week"... Aviation Grounded by Omicron Wings

Plans to Expand International Flights Disrupted
Flight Frequency Reduced, Suspension Discussed
Government Closely Monitoring Quarantine Guidelines

The Boeing 777 aircraft departing from Amsterdam is flying towards Shanghai. [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

#1. Office worker A (38), who was preparing for a trip to Guam after 2 years, ultimately canceled the hard-to-book ticket. With the government announcing a 10-day quarantine for overseas arrivals regardless of vaccination status due to the resurgence of COVID-19, he sighed, saying, "There is no other option but to cancel."

#2. B (30), who works at a travel agency, is overwhelmed with customer inquiries about canceling travel plans due to the COVID-19 Omicron variant. She is working around the clock to relay new quarantine updates to travelers currently abroad.

The airline industry, which was preparing to resume international routes this month, has been hit again by the Omicron setback. As international passengers who had planned overseas trips in line with the transition to With-Corona (gradual return to normal life) postpone or delay their schedules, route plans have also been disrupted.

According to the airline and travel industry on the 2nd, Korean Air is maintaining 39 international routes this month without expanding routes and is closely monitoring government guidelines amid the spread of COVID-19. Although flights were increased by 3 times to New York State, 2 times to Guam, and once each to Osaka and Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, operation may be flexibly changed depending on demand.

Asiana Airlines recently decided not to operate the Incheon-Osaka route five times this month on the 4th, 7th, 11th, 14th, and 22nd due to the resurgence of COVID-19. The Incheon-Nagoya route also canceled flights on the 17th and 24th, and schedules to Fukuoka (5th) and Hong Kong (31st) were each reduced once.

On the 30th, amid ongoing concerns about the COVID-19 Omicron variant, overseas arrivals are waiting at Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

Low-cost carriers (LCCs) are also temporarily holding off or delaying final decisions on international flight plans this month.

Jin Air has started internal review on whether to suspend the Incheon-Bangkok route scheduled for the 24th. Initially planned as a joint charter flight, passenger demand is reportedly falling short of expectations. Flights on the Incheon-Kota Kinabalu route and Incheon-Chiang Mai route on the 15th are also uncertain due to the increase in confirmed cases.

Jeju Air postponed the Busan-Saipan route operation from the 1st to the 15th of this month, and Air Busan, which aimed to operate the same route within the year, is currently discussing internally whether to hold off.

Air Premia was also scheduled to operate the Incheon-Singapore travel bubble (safe travel zone) route on the 24th, but due to delays in additional operational consultations with government authorities, it plans to prioritize starting cargo transport business on that route first.

An airline industry official lamented, "Everything has changed in the past week. It feels like we have gone back to two years ago when COVID-19 was spreading." An LCC official said, "All plans to expand routes, anticipating increased international demand this month, are being postponed or delayed," adding, "It is uncertain whether flights can operate as scheduled in the future."