Resumption of Gimpo~Beijing and Shanghai Routes... Maximizing Urban Accessibility Between Korea and China

The Gimpo~Beijing air route, directly connecting the capitals of South Korea and China through the city center, and the Gimpo~Shanghai route connecting to China's economic capital, have fully resumed operations after a three-year hiatus due to COVID-19.

Korea Airports Corporation announced on the 27th that it held a commemorative event celebrating the resumption of Korea-China routes at the international terminal of Gimpo Airport.

The event was attended by Yoon Hyung-jung, President of Korea Airports Corporation; Xing Haiming, Chinese Ambassador to Korea; Woo Ki-hong, President of Korean Air; Won Yoo-seok, President of Asiana Airlines; Jia Hangyu, Korea Representative of Air China; CEOs of Korean and Chinese airlines; and heads of resident agencies at Gimpo Airport CIQ (Customs, Immigration, Quarantine).

The Gimpo-Beijing route has been operated by four airlines?Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Air China, and China Southern Airlines?since the 26th, each flying seven times a week, totaling 28 flights and 56 services. The Gimpo~Beijing Daxing route, connecting to Beijing Daxing International Airport, further improves city-center accessibility between Seoul and Beijing. The Gimpo-Shanghai Hongqiao Airport route is operated by four airlines?Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, and Shanghai Airlines?each flying seven times a week, totaling 28 flights (56 services). With this, the total number of China routes from Gimpo Airport has recovered to 56 flights and 112 services, reaching the pre-COVID-19 operation level of 2019.

As flights on the Gimpo-China route, which were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, have resumed, the flight schedule is displayed on the electronic board installed at the international departure hall of Gimpo International Airport on the 27th. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

The corporation celebrated the resumption of flights with passengers by giving round-trip tickets to one passenger on each of the Beijing and Shanghai routes and presenting welcome kits to passengers using China routes. With the full resumption of China routes, Gimpo Airport’s international routes have restored all five routes that operated before COVID-19, following the resumption of flights to Tokyo (Haneda) in late June last year, Osaka (Kansai) in October, and Taipei (Songshan). The so-called BESETO business port Silk Road, connecting the capitals of Seoul, Beijing, and Tokyo, has been completed once again.

Chinese Ambassador to Korea Xing Haiming stated, “The resumption of the Gimpo-Beijing and Shanghai routes signifies a full recovery of the Korea-China aviation industry and will inject new vitality into people-to-people exchanges and economic cooperation between the two countries.”

Yoon Hyung-jung, President of Korea Airports Corporation, said, “It is very meaningful that the Gimpo-China routes have finally resumed operations. We will do our best to make this a catalyst for revitalizing human exchanges between the two countries and achieve ‘Beyond 2019,’ surpassing pre-COVID-19 demand.”