"Here We Go, Osaka, Japan Too!" ... Air Busan Launches New Incheon-Osaka Route

Air Busan A321LR aircraft.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hwang Du-yeol] Air Busan has newly launched the Incheon-Osaka route following the Incheon-Narita route.

On the 27th at 9 a.m., Air Busan began operating flight BX172 from Incheon International Airport to Kansai International Airport, starting the Incheon-Osaka route with one flight per week on Fridays.

Air Busan's Incheon-Osaka route departs from Incheon International Airport at 9 a.m. and arrives at Kansai International Airport at 10:50 a.m.

The return flight departs Kansai International Airport at 12:30 p.m. and arrives at Incheon International Airport at 2:30 p.m.

The aircraft deployed is an A321LR with 220 seats, and the flight time takes approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes.

From June 26, the frequency will increase from once a week on Fridays to twice a week on Mondays and Fridays.

Following the Narita route launch on the 25th, Air Busan will consecutively launch new Incheon-Japan routes with Osaka on the 27th and Fukuoka on July 22.

The new route launches are a preemptive measure anticipating a surge in travel demand between Korea and Japan once the visa-free entry system between the two countries is restored.

As of 2019, over 11.6 million passengers traveled between Korea and Japan via Incheon Airport. Among all passengers, those using the Narita, Osaka, and Fukuoka routes numbered about 7.6 million, accounting for 66% of the total.

Osaka, known for its authentic traditional Japanese culture and diverse culinary experiences at major tourist spots, had the highest number of passengers among Incheon Airport's Japan routes in 2019, with 2,822,729 travelers.

An Air Busan official stated, “As Japan's entry restrictions are gradually easing and both countries are actively promoting the restoration of visa-free entry to revitalize tourism, demand for travel to Japan is expected to surge. We will do our best to promptly restore international routes with high demand such as Japan to enhance travel convenience for the public and revitalize the aviation industry.”