By Do Je-hae
Staff Reporter

Ahead of the summer holiday season, Korea’s top two airlines will increase flights to China and the United States.

Korean Air will raise the number of weekly flights up to seven from four on routes between Incheonm and San Francisco between the end of May and the end of October.

“We will mainly increase our flights to the U.S., as the U.S. visa waver program is expected to start increasing demand for travel to the U.S. this year, while the local currency’s fall and the new flu are no longer issues,” said an official at Korean Air Lines.

Korea was added to the U.S. visa waver program in October 2008. Korean citizens can now visit the U.S. for up to 90 days without a visa.

The top carrier also plans to increase flights between Incheon and Shenyang, northeastern China, up to 14 per week from the current seven, starting the end of this month.

Asiana Airlines will increase the number of Incheon-Seattle flights to four weekly from the end of March, up from the current three.

It will hike the number of weekly flights to Changchun, northeastern China, from five to nine beginning June.

jhdo@koreatimes.co.kr