Parata Air to resume Yangyang–Shanghai flights in December
Version 2: A second business outlet has now reported the route as announced by Gangwon Province, adding that international service stopped when Fly Gangwon entered legal management in May 2023 and that Parata Air took the carrier over in May 2024, along with visa-free travel and doubts that scheduled flights alone will draw foreign tourists.
In short
Parata Air plans to restart international scheduled service at Yangyang International Airport with a route to Shanghai Pudong Airport from December, operating twice a week on Mondays and Fridays, the airline and Gangwon Province said. The exact start date is to be confirmed this month with related agencies. The route would end a suspension of scheduled international flights that Hankook Ilbo dates to Fly Gangwon's entry into legal management in May 2023.
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Parata Air plans to operate a scheduled international route between Yangyang International Airport and Shanghai Pudong Airport from December, flying twice a week on Mondays and Fridays, the airline said on October 6. The exact start date will be confirmed this month in consultation with related agencies, according to Yonhap and Gangwon Province, which announced the plan on October 7. [ 2 , 3 ]
The route would restart scheduled international service at Yangyang Airport after a long suspension. Yonhap reported that Parata Air began the Yangyang–Jeju route in September last year, resuming domestic scheduled flights at the airport, and that the Shanghai service would extend its operations there to international flights. Hankook Ilbo reported that international flights stopped after Fly Gangwon, a low-cost carrier recruited under then-Gangwon Governor Choi Moon-soon, entered legal management in May 2023 — three years and seven months before the planned resumption — and that Parata Air took over Fly Gangwon in May 2024. [ 2 , 3 ]
Yonhap described Shanghai as a major economic and tourism centre in China with active exchanges with Korea. It said the direct link is expected to make overseas travel more convenient for Gangwon residents and to improve Chinese tourists' access to the region, and that more Chinese visitors to Seoraksan, Sokcho, Yangyang and Gangneung could increase tourism, accommodation and spending locally. Hankook Ilbo reported that citizens of the two countries may enter each other's country without a visa, and that Yangyang County and the local community hope the airport will revive after a period in which mainly charter flights operated. It also reported that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism held a forum on regional tourism linked to Yangyang Airport on September 7, attended by Vice Minister Kim Dae-hyun and aviation and tourism experts. [ 2 , 3 ]
Hankook Ilbo also reported doubts that scheduled flights alone would bring foreign tourists, noting that overseas visitors' preference for Gangwon attractions is lower than for Seoul, Jeju, Busan and Gyeongju, and that tourism marketing to make Yangyang-bound flights an option at the point of sale would be needed. [ 3 ]
A Parata Air official said it is significant that the airport's flights, restarted with the Yangyang–Jeju route, are expanding to an international service, adding that the Shanghai route should give Gangwon residents a more convenient overseas travel option and offer foreign tourists a gateway to Gangwon's attractions, according to Yonhap and Hankook Ilbo. The airline said it will work closely with the local community, the tourism industry and related agencies to support the airport's activation and regional tourism demand. [ 2 , 3 ]
The Korea Economic Daily led its report with the opening of a direct Shanghai route from a previously empty Yangyang Airport, framing it around traffic returning to the airport; the readable text of its page dealt mainly with other Parata Air items, including a planned November Incheon–Shenzhen service and Vietnam routes. [ 1 ]
Why it matters
The route would restore scheduled international flights at a regional airport in Gangwon Province that has handled mainly charter flights in recent years, and Yonhap says it is expected to improve travel options for Gangwon residents and access for Chinese tourists to east coast destinations. Hankook Ilbo reports that local authorities hope incoming visitors will translate into tourism, accommodation and spending in the region, while noting that scheduled flights alone do not guarantee that.
Key facts
- Parata Air plans to operate a scheduled route between Yangyang International Airport and Shanghai Pudong Airport from December, twice a week on Mondays and Fridays. [ 2 , 3 ]
- The exact start date will be confirmed this month in consultation with related agencies, according to Yonhap and Gangwon Province. [ 2 , 3 ]
- After Fly Gangwon entered legal management in May 2023, international scheduled service at Yangyang Airport was suspended for a long period, Hankook Ilbo reported. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Parata Air acquired Fly Gangwon in May 2024 and began operating the Yangyang–Jeju route in September last year, resuming domestic scheduled service. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Gangwon Province expects the direct Shanghai link to increase Chinese visitors to east coast destinations such as Seoraksan, Sokcho, Yangyang and Gangneung; visa-free entry is allowed between the two countries, according to Hankook Ilbo. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Hankook Ilbo reported doubts that scheduled flights alone would bring foreign tourists, citing lower overseas visitor preference for Gangwon attractions than for Seoul, Jeju, Busan and Gyeongju, and the need for local tourism marketing. [ 3 ]
- Parata Air said it will work with Gangwon Province, the regional tourism industry and related agencies to link passengers to local tourism demand and support the airport and the regional economy. [ 2 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Parata Air plans a scheduled Yangyang–Shanghai Pudong route, starting in December and operating twice a week on Mondays and Fridays. [ 2 , 3 ]
- The exact start date will be confirmed this month through consultations with related agencies. [ 2 , 3 ]
- International scheduled service at Yangyang Airport had been suspended for a long period before this planned resumption. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Parata Air began the Yangyang–Jeju route in September last year, resuming domestic scheduled service at the airport. [ 2 , 3 ]
- The airline said it will cooperate with Gangwon Province and the regional tourism industry on airport activation and local tourism demand. [ 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- The exact date the Yangyang–Shanghai flights begin. The documents say only that the first operating date will be fixed this month in consultation with related agencies.
- Fares, aircraft type and whether the service will run year-round. None of the documents addresses these points.
- Whether the route will actually draw foreign tourists into Gangwon. Hankook Ilbo reported local expectations but also cited doubts and the absence of marketing, and gave no figures.
- Who made the announcement and on what date. Yonhap attributes the plan to the airline on October 6, while Hankook Ilbo says Gangwon Province announced it on October 7; both describe the same plan.
- Whether the Korea Economic Daily report carries schedule or traffic details of its own. Its readable page text dealt mainly with other Parata Air items, including a planned November Incheon–Shenzhen service and Vietnam routes, which concern other routes.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- The Korea Economic Daily publishes a report on a direct Shanghai route from Yangyang Airport. [ 1 ]
- Yonhap reports that Parata Air will operate the Yangyang–Shanghai Pudong route from December, twice a week on Mondays and Fridays. [ 2 ]
- Hankook Ilbo reports that Gangwon Province announced the route, adding background on Fly Gangwon's legal management and Parata Air's acquisition. [ 3 ]