Korean Air expands international route network ahead of summer 2024 peak

by AvioBlog · 19 Marzo 2024

Korean Air has announced it will expand its international network from the start of the IATA 2024 summer scheduling season which begins on March 31, 2024. The airline will resume services to four cities in China, Europe, and Southeast Asia, and increase flight frequencies on other major routes.

The planned expansion will return the Seoul-based carrier’s international capacity to approximately 96% of where it was pre-pandemic, in terms of available seat kilometers (ASKs).

On April 2, 2024, the airline will resume three times weekly flights between Seoul Incheon (ICN) and Zurich (ZRH) in Switzerland, a market that has traditionally been a popular summer destination for Korea-originating tourists.

Then, from April 23, the carrier will resume three weekly flights between Seoul Incheon and Zhangjiajie Hehua International Airport (DYG) in the Chinese province of Hunan. The city is famed for its designation as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site and also happens to be where the fictional world of Pandora in the famous movie ‘Avatar’ was filmed.

Also in China, on April 24, 2024, the airline will resume its Seoul Incheon to Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport (CGO), operating four flights per week. Zhengzhou is a popular tourist destination in China featuring Tianshan, often referred to as the “Grand Canyon of China.” Visitors can also hike Seongsan, one of the Five Great Mountains of China, and visit Shaolin Temple, considered the birthplace of Kung Fu.

The airline will also resume daily flights on the Busan (PUS) to Bangkok (BKK) route on April 25, 2024, after nearly four years of hiatus due to the pandemic. Meanwhile, the Seoul Incheon to Bangkok route will increase from three to four daily flights, and the Seoul Incheon to Manila (MNL) route will increase from two to three daily flights. Since January 2024, the airline has also added two additional frequencies on the Seoul Incheon to Bali (DPS) route to offer 11 weekly flights.

Elsewhere, and in response to the growing demand for international travel, Korean Air will also increase flight frequencies on several routes to Europe and North America.

The carrier will increase flight frequencies on the Seoul Incheon to Budapest (BUD) from three to four weekly flights. In North America, Korean Air will increase services on the Seoul Incheon to Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) route from four flights per week to daily flights.

For the northern summer season of 2024, Korean Air will operate to around 10 domestic and 150 international destinations in 50 countries. The airline currently operates a fleet of 162 aircraft with an outstanding order book for a further 90 aircraft.

Having already received regulatory approval from the aviation regulators in 13 out of 14 jurisdictions for its proposed merger with local rival Asiana Airlines, the carrier hopes to get the final green light from the Department of Transportation in the United States in the second half of 2024. Once the merger is underway, a process of fleet consolidation is expected at Korean Air, with the airline tipped to place an order for up to 20 Airbus A350s imminently.