Jeju Air opens routes to Hong Kong, Manila

Jeju Air announced Wednesday it will expand its international routes to Hong Kong and Manila and Cebu of the Philippines by November this year.

The low-cost carrier based in Jeju Island was approved the rights by the government on July 2 to operate the three routes.

The airliner said it targets career women in their 20s and 30s for its Hong Kong route while hoping to attract families for flights to and from the Philippines.

Jeju Air is Korea’s first low-cost carrier to operate international flights to nearby tourist destinations including Osaka and Nagoya.

Competition among low-cost carriers will only get fiercer as Malaysia-based AirAsia announced Tuesday in Seoul that it will operate the Incheon-Kuala Lumpur route daily from November.