S.Korean low-cost carriers keep expanding routes to SE Asia

South Korean low-cost airlines have started expanding their flight routes. It is based on the expectation that there will be a significant increase in demand for international flights to Southeast Asia, with the reopening of each country and the summer vacation season getting close.

T'way Air Co. announced on Monday that it will start new flights from Cheongju-Don Mueang and Incheon-Don Mueang routes from April 27. With the addition of new destinations, T'way's Korea-Thailand route, currently operating Incheon-Suvarnabhumi and Daegu-Suvarnabhumi routes only, will increase to four by the end of this month.

Don Mueang Airport is located north of Bangkok. It is about the same distance from the city center as Suvarnabhumi Airport, located to the east of Bangkok. Don Mueang Airport is served by many budget carriers, making it easy to transfer to other Southeast Asian countries or domestic flights within Thailand. A company official said, "We will capture the demand for passengers using airports in the metropolitan area and regional airports by expanding the popular Bangkok route."

Jeju Air Co., the number one low-cost carrier in South Korea, plans to run flights four times a week on the Incheon-Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia) route from June 1. Next month, it will also add flights to Indonesia for the first time since the company's establishment. Eastar Jet, which resumed domestic flights between Gimpo and Jeju last month after a three-year hiatus, is also preparing to launch new international routes in the second half of this year.

Write to Hyung-Kyu Kim at khk@hankyung.com