LCCs to Fly to Beijing and Shanghai; Chinese Routes Also Added at Regional Airports

[Financial News] Low-cost carriers (LCCs) have been allocated traffic rights for major Chinese routes. Direct routes from regional airports to major Chinese cities will also be launched in addition to those from Incheon International Airport.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) said on the 16th that it had allocated traffic rights for 25 international routes, mainly to China, to 10 Korean airlines. The allocation follows an agreement reached at a Korea-China aviation meeting to expand traffic rights. It marks the first such expansion in seven years, since 2019, before the COVID-19 outbreak.
Traffic rights for major Chinese routes departing from Incheon International Airport, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Dalian, were allocated to LCCs. Until now, LCCs had operated only the Shanghai route among these destinations. The allocation was made ahead of the planned December merger of Korean Air and Asiana Airlines.
International services from regional airports were also expanded, including the launch of direct routes from Busan, Cheongju and Daegu to Chengdu, Harbin, Dalian and Xiamen. Traffic rights newly secured this year for the Czech Republic were also allocated. In addition, rights were granted for routes linking Korea with Chinese cargo hubs such as Tianjin and Ezhou, raising expectations that supply chains for Korean importers and exporters will be strengthened.
By airline, Parata Air secured Incheon–Shanghai and Incheon–Hangzhou routes, each operating four times a week, as well as Yangyang County–Shanghai and Yangyang County–Hangzhou routes, each operating three times a week. Eastar Jet secured Incheon–Beijing seven times a week, Incheon–Nanjing three times a week and Daegu–Beijing three times a week. Jeju Air will operate Incheon–Beijing seven times a week, Incheon–Changsha four times a week and Muan–Shanghai three times a week.
Aero K Airlines was allocated Muan–Beijing three times a week; Muan–Yanji and Muan–Zhangjiajie, each twice a week; Cheongju–Dalian three times a week; and routes to regional destinations in Mongolia other than Mongolia’s route to Ulaanbaatar, each seven times a week. Air Busan received Busan–Chengdu and Busan–Harbin, each four times a week. Jin Air received Busan–Hangzhou twice a week and Incheon–Guangzhou seven times a week.
TRINITY AIR WAYS (formerly T’way Air) received traffic rights for Incheon–Dalian seven times a week, Daegu–Xiamen three times a week and Korea–Czech Republic three times a week. Air Premia will operate Incheon–Shanghai three times a week. Korean Air secured year-round traffic rights for Incheon–Ulaanbaatar, operating twice a week.
The airlines are expected to launch the new services during next year’s summer season. Operations will proceed once the airlines receive slots at the relevant airports—the right to operate during allocated time periods. MOLIT expects the allocation, which primarily involved new entrants, to promote competition among airlines and enhance consumer rights.
[email protected] Kim Yun-ho Reporter