The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said on the 4th that air traffic rights between Korea and China will increase from 662 round trips a week to 732. It is the first increase in Korea–China traffic rights in seven years since 2019.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said it agreed to raise weekly traffic rights between the two countries by 70 during a Korea–China aviation meeting held in Seoul for two days starting on the 27th of last month. Once the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) allocates the newly secured rights to airlines, the carriers will secure slots and complete approval procedures to launch new routes.
Looking at the newly secured China traffic rights, routes such as Incheon–Shanghai and Incheon–Guangzhou, where demand has been high but expansion was difficult because all existing rights were used, will see increases. Traffic rights from Incheon to Beijing, Dalian, Chengdu, and Harbin will also increase by seven round trips a week.
In addition, flights from regional airports to China will increase. Dedicated regional-airport traffic rights for 10 Chinese cities—Guangzhou, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Kunming, Xi'an, Urumqi, Harbin, Shenyang, and Yanji—from Busan, Cheongju, and elsewhere will also rise by 14 round trips a week.
Cargo routes to and from China will also be expanded in line with rising cargo demand. Weekly operations will increase by 14, from 54 to 68. New services will begin to cities such as Ezhou and Hefei.
An official at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said, "Through this agreement, we expect to help revitalize the economy by promoting tourism to Korea among Chinese visitors, improving convenience for our people visiting China and for export-import corporations, and spurring more active entry by our airlines into the Chinese market."