Gimhae, Cheongju, Jeju Airports to Expand Flights to Shanghai

South Korea's Incheon International Airport Corporation is partnering with Shanghai Airport Authority to broaden flight connections between regional airports and the Chinese metropolis. The collaboration seeks to overcome previous obstacles related to airport slot availability, which had hindered the operation of newly allocated flight routes.

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Currently, there are connections with five regional airports such as Cheongju and Daegu, but we plan to strengthen connectivity with other regional cities in the future.

The memorandum of understanding, signed at Shanghai Hongqiao Airport, is designed to facilitate the expansion of air services. Previously, South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport had allocated new route rights for 23 weekly flights connecting four non-capital airports to two Shanghai airports. These included increased frequencies for Gimhae, Daegu, Cheongju, and Yangyang to Shanghai.

However, these routes remained inoperative due to delays in slot allocation by the Shanghai Airport Authority. The new agreement aims to expedite this process, potentially increasing flights from Gimhae to Pudong from 16 to 18 per week and enabling new services from Cheongju to Pudong. Jeju to Pudong flights are also projected to increase from 56 to 58 weekly.

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It is necessary to revitalize regional tourism through the expansion of routes between South Korea's regional airports and Shanghai airports.

Beyond route expansion, the partnership includes plans for cooperation in passenger services, such as duty-free shops and lounges, as well as in smart airport technologies like artificial intelligence. Officials expressed optimism that these efforts will stimulate regional tourism and enhance connectivity between South Korea's provincial areas and Shanghai.

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We look forward to cooperation in the process of allocating transportation rights and slots.