Jeju Air opens flight from Busan to Yantai, expands Chinese routes

Published : Aug 27, 2018 - 10:21 Updated : Aug 27, 2018 - 10:21

South Korean budget air carrier Jeju Air Co. said Monday it will open a new route connecting the country's southern port city of Busan and Yantai, a city in eastern China, starting this fall.

The low-cost airline said it will operate four flights a week between Busan and Yantai starting Oct. 28. The company currently operates 13 regular flights to China, including Hong Kong and Macao.

The company said the decision came as the demand for flights to China is expected to grow down the road.

(Jeju Air)

The number of Chinese visitors to South Korea came to 8.09 million in 2016 then declined amid diplomatic tension between the two countries following Seoul's deployment of US anti-missile defense system on its soil. The figure started to recover in March, South Korean government data showed.

"In the second half, we plan to focus our efforts to expands routes to China and vitalize regional airports in South Korea," Jeju Air said. (Yonhap)