Air carriers moving to resume international routes this summer

Seen is Tumon Bay on Guam. Domestic air carriers are planning to resume international flights this summer, beginning with those to popular tourist spots such as Guam and Saipan, as fully vaccinated citizens are exempted from the 14-day self-quarantine when they return to Korea. gettyimagesbank

By Jun Ji-hye

Domestic air carriers are moving to resume international passenger flights, most of which were halted last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The government is exempting fully vaccinated citizens from the 14-day self-quarantine when they return from overseas trips as an incentive to encourage vaccination

Aviation industry officials said Wednesday that air carriers are planning to resume international operations this summer, beginning with routes to popular tourist spots such as Guam and Saipan.

Jeju Air is planning to operate flights to Saipan starting June 8, and Asiana Airlines will resume flights there next month.

The former is also considering submitting an application to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport for more flights to Guam in August.

T'way Air and Air Seoul have already submitted applications to the transport ministry for flights to Guam, while Korean Air has begun selling tickets for the Incheon-Guam route that will open in November.

Officials noted that flight schedules could be changed in accordance with developments in the coronavirus situation at individual destinations.

Air carriers are putting priority on flights to Guam and Saipan as a considerable number of passengers using the routes in both directions are Korean tourists.

Currently, the government of Saipan exempt people from mandatory isolation following their arrival if they have been fully vaccinated with the Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson's Janssen or AstraZeneca vaccines.

The Korean government's various vaccine incentives, including the special exemption from self-isolation upon returning home, are expected to increase demand for overseas travel during the summer vacation season.

“The more people are vaccinated, the more people are expected to seek to go on an overseas trip,” an official from a Seoul-based air carrier said. “We are considering resuming flights not only to Guam and Saipan, but also to other destinations where the COVID-19 situation is not that serious.”

For its part, the government is actively pushing to establish “travel bubbles,” or quarantine-free corridors, with other countries that have managed to curtail virus infections, as the country's nationwide vaccine rollout program has been gaining speed.

A travel bubble refers to a partnership between two or more cities or countries with similar rates of COVID-19 infections, to allow quarantine-free air travel in both directions. It does not set limits on the purpose of visit, and thus is different from fast-track entries for business travelers.

“We are looking at several countries that could potentially establish travel bubbles with Korea,” Yoon Tae-ho, a senior official from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said during an online briefing Tuesday.

According to industry sources, Singapore, Guam and New Zealand are potential candidates to establish travel bubbles with Korea.