'Night Goblin Travel Revival'... Haneda~Incheon Late-Night Route Resumes After 3 Years

After a 3-Year Hiatus Since March 5, 2020
"Expecting the Revival of Bamdokebi Travel"

The President of Incheon International Airport Corporation announced on the 27th that Korean Air's late-night regular flight between Haneda and Incheon has resumed. This is the first time in three years since it was suspended on March 5, 2020.

The Haneda-Incheon route operates daily, seven times a week. It departs from Tokyo Haneda Airport at 2:00 AM and arrives at Incheon International Airport at 4:35 AM. Incheon Airport expects the revival of various tourism patterns such as same-day trips or weekend night owl trips to Korea by Japanese MZ generation office workers. It also forecasts an increase in air travel demand of about 153,000 passengers annually, including 86,000 passengers and 67,000 transfer passengers.

The Japan Tourism Agency conducted a survey on February 15 targeting 400 Japanese Z generation (ages 19-25). As a result, more than 90% of respondents with overseas travel experience said they would definitely travel abroad again in 2023. Especially, when asked about the country they want to visit, Korea ranked first among women at 36.5%. Through the resumption of this route, it is expected that visits to Korea by Japanese MZ generation, who strongly prefer to use their time freely in independent travel, will increase.

Kim Beom-ho, Head of Future Business Division at Incheon International Airport Corporation, said, "With the resumption of the Incheon-Haneda route, the demand for Japanese visitors to Korea, which had shrunk due to the pandemic, is expected to expand significantly, greatly contributing to the revitalization of the domestic aviation and tourism industries." He added, "Incheon Airport will focus on demand recovery marketing to fully normalize air travel demand and will do its best to ensure smooth airport operations."

At the 'Haneda-Incheon Resumption Welcome Event' held on the 27th at Incheon Airport Terminal 2, Lee Su-tae, Head of the Aviation Marketing Team at Incheon International Airport Corporation (left), and Japanese passengers are taking a commemorative photo. Photo by Incheon International Airport Corporation

Not only visits to Korea but also transfers from Japan are expected to become more convenient. The earliest arrival time at Incheon Airport for Korean Air flights departing from Tokyo has been advanced by about seven hours, from the previous 11:30 AM to 4:35 AM. As a result, 48 morning flights to destinations such as Paris, Vienna, Boston, New York, Beijing, Tashkent, and Ulaanbaatar, which were previously impossible to connect on the same day, can now be used for transfers. This is also expected to attract additional Japanese transfer demand at Incheon Airport.

On the day, the corporation held a welcoming event at Incheon Airport’s Terminal 2, presenting souvenirs and bouquets to Japanese passengers on the first arriving flight. Japanese traveler Kaneko, who received the welcome gift, said, "I am very happy to receive a welcome gift at Incheon Airport as I visit Korea for the first time in three years since COVID-19. It was convenient to depart from Haneda Airport, which is only 20 minutes by subway from downtown Tokyo, and the early morning flight saved me time. I plan to take the airport railroad directly to Myeongdong now."

The number of passengers using Japan routes at Incheon Airport was 11.85 million in 2019, just before the COVID-19 outbreak, accounting for the third largest share (17%) among all Incheon Airport users after Southeast Asia (30%) and China (19%). Although it decreased to 2.18 million last year due to COVID-19, passenger numbers surged after the resumption of visa-free entry between Korea and Japan in October 2022, showing a recovery trend with 1.83 million passengers recorded by February 2023.