Jeju Air secures more China traffic rights, expands winter routes
In short
Jeju Air said on Oct 6 that it secured additional China traffic rights and will expand its China network, adding Chongqing, Chengdu and Changsha to reach 13 Chinese cities. From Oct 25 the airline will increase frequencies on Busan–Shanghai, Incheon–Qingdao, Incheon–Weihai and Busan–Zhangjiajie for the winter season. Cumulative passengers on its China routes reached 5.28 million through August, the airline said.
Read the full story 1 min read
Jeju Air said on Oct 6 that it had secured additional traffic rights for Chinese routes and would expand its China network in the winter season. The airline said the rights came through two rounds of allocation by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport this year. [ 2 ]
The allocations cover Busan–Guilin and Busan–Shanghai, Daegu–Shanghai, Jeju–Chengdu and Jeju–Chongqing, as well as Incheon–Beijing and Incheon–Changsha, the airline said. Adding Chongqing, Chengdu and Changsha to the ten Chinese cities it already serves brings its reach to 13 cities in China. [ 2 ]
Jeju Air said it currently operates 14 China routes, including two charter routes, the most among Korean low-cost carriers. Korea Economic Daily reported that the airline launched the Busan–Guilin route on Sept 23 using China traffic rights allocated by the ministry in April. [ 1 , 2 ]
For the winter season starting Oct 25, the airline said it will raise frequencies on several existing routes: Busan–Shanghai to daily from four times a week, Incheon–Qingdao to 11 times weekly from seven, Incheon–Weihai to 10 from seven, and Busan–Zhangjiajie to four from two. It added that it is preparing to begin service on the Daegu–Shanghai and Jeju–Chengdu and Jeju–Chongqing routes it received rights for in April. [ 2 ]
On traffic, the airline put cumulative passengers on its China routes at 5.28 million through August. Korea Economic Daily reported that the carrier had passed 5 million passengers, 14 years after first flying Incheon–Qingdao in June 2012. [ 1 , 2 ]
A Jeju Air official said the company would “strengthen the competitiveness of its China routes and widen customers' travel choices” through the additional traffic rights and winter frequency increases. Newsis reported that the airline was sharply expanding winter-season supply. [ 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
Jeju Air's additions are part of a wider recovery in Korea–China air travel, with the carrier saying it wants to strengthen route competitiveness and widen travellers' choices. For a low-cost carrier, more traffic rights and denser winter schedules mean more seats on a politically sensitive route market, though the documents give no figures on expected revenue or load factors.
Key facts
- Jeju Air said it secured additional China route traffic rights through two rounds of allocations by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport this year [ 2 ]
- With Chongqing, Chengdu and Changsha added to ten existing Chinese cities, the airline can serve 13 Chinese cities [ 2 ]
- Jeju Air's cumulative passengers on China routes stood at 5.28 million through August, according to the airline [ 2 ]
- The airline runs 14 China routes including two charter routes, the most among Korean low-cost carriers, it said [ 2 ]
- From Oct 25, Busan–Shanghai rises to daily from four weekly flights, Incheon–Qingdao to 11 from seven, Incheon–Weihai to 10 from seven, and Busan–Zhangjiajie to four from two [ 2 ]
- Jeju Air is preparing to launch Daegu–Shanghai and Jeju–Chengdu and Jeju–Chongqing in the winter season [ 2 ]
- The Busan–Guilin route was launched on Sept 23 using China traffic rights allocated by the ministry in April [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- The exact cumulative China-route passenger count One outlet reports the airline passed 5 million passengers 14 years after its first Incheon–Qingdao flight in June 2012, while the airline puts the figure at 5.28 million through August, so the counting date is unclear.
- Whether the newly held traffic rights for Daegu–Shanghai and Jeju–Chengdu/Chongqing will translate into firm winter schedules The airline says it is preparing winter launches, but no launch dates or flight frequencies are given.