Korean Air will resume flights and increase frequencies to China starting next week, the carrier said on Friday. The number of flights will gradually increase over the next few months to nearly 100 weekly flights by the summer.
The announcement follows both Korea and China’s agreement at the beginning of the month to expand the frequency of flights to levels seen before the pandemic. Since most border restrictions eased late last year, international travel demand surged, but the spread of the coronavirus in China prompted officials to keep restrictions on flights between Korea and China.
Exponential growth in the China network
Flights between Korea and mainland China will increase from 13 times per week to 84 by the end of March and to 99 times per week in May, according to the airline. The number of weekly flights on the carrier’s China routes will reach 38% and 43% of levels in March/April and May/June 2019.
Seven routes will be resumed, which include five from the airline’s hub in Seoul at Incheon International Airport and two from its other hub at Gimpo International Airport. From Incheon, flights resume to Beijing, Xian, Shenzhen, Yanji, and Xiamen. And from Gimpo, flights resume to Beijing and Shanghai (Hongqiao).
According to the airline, the Incheon-Beijing route will begin on March 19th with four weekly flights. On March 26th, three more flights per week will be added. By May, a total of eight flights will occur weekly. Both Gimpo-Beijing and Gimpo-Shanghai (Hongqiao) flights will operate seven times a week starting March 26th.
The Incheon-Xian route is set to begin on March 17th. Two flights per week will operate until the first week of May, when seven flights will occur. Flights between Incheon and Shenzhen begin on March 26th with four weekly flights and will increase to seven weekly in May.
The Incheon-Yanji route will see seven weekly flights starting this month, while Incheon-Xiamen flights will begin on May 2nd with three weekly flights.
Get all the latest aviation news right here on Simple Flying,
Details on expanding flight frequencies
Seven routes from Seoul-Incheon will have frequencies increased, according to the carrier.
| Route | Current Weekly Frequency | New Weekly Frequency | Additional Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incheon -Shanghai (Pudong) | 2 | 14 | -7 times from March 19th -14 times from March 26th |
| Incheon -Guangzhou | 2 | 7 | -7 times from March 26th |
| Incheon – Qingdao | 1 | 7 | -2 times from March 23rd -7 times from March 26th |
| Incheon -Shenyang | 3 | 7 | -4 times from March 19th -7 times from March 26th |
| Incheon -Dalian | 2 | 7 | -3 times from March 19th -7 times from March 26th |
| Incheon – Tianjin | 2 | 7 | -4 times from March 26th -7 times from May 1st |
| Incheon – Nanjing | 1 | 4 | -4 times from March 26th |
Here are the frequency details:
| Category | Weekly Frequency | Weekly Frequency by Route | Year-over-Year (YoY) vs. 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current | 13 | Shenyang (3) Shanghai Pudong, Guangzhou, Dalian, Tianjin (2) Nanjing, Qingdao (1) | 7% |
| March-April (3/26-) | 84 | Shanghai Pudong (14) Beijing, Beijing (Seoul Gimpo), Shanghai Hongqiao (Seoul Gimpo) (7) Guangzhou, Shenyang, Dalian, Qingdao, Yanji (7) Tianjin, Nanjing, Shenzhen (4), Xian (2) | 38% |
| May-June | 99 | Shanghai Pudong (14), Beijing (8) Beijing (Seoul Gimpo), Shanghai Hongqiao (Seoul Gimpo) (7) Guangzhou, Shenyang, Dalian, Qingdao, Yanji, Tianjin, Xian, Shenzhen (7) Nanjing (4), Xiamen (3) | 43% |
Revitalizing the industry
Korean Air said the service resumption and increased flights will provide diversified and more convenient schedules between Korea and major cities in China, such as Beijing and Shanghai. The carrier will also work to build back the aviation, tourism, and Incheon Airport’s role as a hub by expanding transit networks from China.
In preparation for an influx of passengers and to ensure safe operations and customer convenience, Korean Air will undergo preliminary inspections of its business branches and airport services in China.