Jeju Air ramps up China routes ahead of winter travel surge
Summary
Jeju Air will add flights on four China routes this winter and secured rights for seven weekly Incheon-Beijing flights and four weekly Incheon-Changsha flights. The airline will increase or extend services on several routes under the winter schedule beginning Oct. 25. The allocations allow Jeju Air to serve 13 Chinese cities, the most among Korean low-cost carriers, while it prepares additional routes and adjusts capacity to demand.
Key Facts
- The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport awarded Jeju Air rights in April for Busan-Guilin, Busan-Shanghai, Daegu-Shanghai, Jeju-Chengdu and Jeju-Chongqing routes.
- Busan-Shanghai flights will increase from four weekly to daily through Dec. 15, while Incheon-Qingdao service will rise from seven to 11 weekly flights through Dec. 31.
- Incheon-Weihai flights will increase from seven to 10 weekly through March 27, and Busan-Zhangjiajie flights will double to four weekly through Nov. 30.
- Jeju Air had carried 5.28 million passengers on China routes as of August after beginning scheduled China services with Incheon-Qingdao in 2012.
Jeju Air B737-8 passenger carrier / Courtesy of Jeju Air
Jeju Air will add flights on four China routes this winter and has secured rights to launch services from Incheon to Beijing and Changsha, the Korean low-cost carrier said Tuesday.
The airline said it was allocated traffic rights in September for seven weekly Incheon-Beijing flights and four weekly Incheon-Changsha flights. Traffic rights are government-issued permits that set how often a carrier may fly an international route.
In April, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport awarded it rights on five other routes: Busan-Guilin, Busan-Shanghai, Daegu-Shanghai, Jeju-Chengdu and Jeju-Chongqing.
The allocations allow Jeju Air to serve 13 Chinese cities, the most among Korean low-cost carriers, the company said. It currently operates 14 China routes, including nonscheduled services.
Changsha, the capital of Hunan province, is a gateway to Zhangjiajie, a mountain area known for its sandstone pillars. The airline did not say when the Beijing and Changsha flights from Incheon will begin.
Under the winter schedule, which begins Oct. 25, Busan-Shanghai flights will rise from four a week to daily through Dec. 15. Incheon-Qingdao service will increase from seven to 11 weekly flights through Dec. 31 and Incheon-Weihai from seven to 10 through March 27. Busan-Zhangjiajie flights will double to four a week through Nov. 30.
Jeju Air also extended operations on four routes: Busan-Guilin, Incheon-Guilin and Daegu-Guilin through Nov. 29, and Daegu-Shijiazhuang through Nov. 18. It is preparing to launch Daegu-Shanghai, Jeju-Chengdu and Jeju-Chongqing flights.
The carrier began scheduled flights to China in 2012 with an Incheon-Qingdao route and had carried a cumulative 5.28 million passengers on China routes as of August, the most among Korean low-cost carriers, it said.
A company official said the airline will adjust capacity flexibly in line with demand and market conditions to give travelers more options for China trips.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.
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