By Lee Hyo-sik
Korean Air, the country’s largest flagship carrier, has decided to operate an Incheon-Jeju route from March 25, a move expected to boost the number of foreign visitors to the country’s southern resort island.
It said Wednesday that it will operate a daily flight between Incheon International Airport and Jeju International Airport to better serve a growing number of Chinese and other non-Korean tourists who want to visit Jeju Island.
Korean Air’s B737-800 aircraft, which can accommodate up to 150 passengers, will depart from Jeju airport at 5 p.m. every day and arrive in Incheon at 6:05 p.m. The returning flight will take off from Incheon at 7:05 p.m. and arrive in Jeju at 8:10 p.m.
“The Incheon-Jeju route will make it a lot easier for foreign travelers to visit Jeju Island as Jeju airport can handle only a limited number of international flights,” a Korean Air spokesman said. “Passengers will go through immigration and customs inspections at Incheon airport and then board a flight to Jeju.”
Jeju airport currently handles only 116 international flights on 12 routes every week, mostly to and from destinations in China and Japan, as no flights are allowed after 11 p.m. until 6 a.m.
“The new route will also help Jeju residents head overseas as they do not have to go through Gimpo International Airport,” the spokesman said.
Currently, foreign visitors who enter Korea via Incheon airport have to go to Gimpo airport in western Seoul, which takes about half an hour by car or train, and transfer to domestic flights departing for Jeju and other local cities.
It is also the same for those who leave the country after visiting the island. They first have to fly to Gimpo airport from Jeju and then transfer to Incheon airport.
Jeju Special Self-Governing Province welcomed Korean Air’s new Incheon-Jeju route, saying it will help attract more foreign travelers, particularly those from China.
“We are positive that it will bring more foreign guests to the island, providing a boost to restaurants, hotels and other hospitality-related business,” said Hyeon Deog-jun, manager of the provincial government’s tourism policy division. “But what we really want is for airlines to increase the number of flights linking Jeju with Chinese cities. If not, we want Chinese visitors to enter Incheon airport visa-free and come to Jeju.”
Currently, only those who arrive at Jeju airport are exempt from obtaining visas.