Airlines add new routes and planes

Asiana Airlines opened two new routes to Vietnam from Busan, while Korean Air announced that the Airbus A380 will go into service on June 17.

On Thursday, Asiana Airlines began operating daily flights to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in southern Vietnam from Busan.

Along with the new routes from Busan, the company will double the number of flights on the Incheon-Ho Chi Minh City route from June 23.

Following the changes, Asiana Airlines will operate 35 flights to Vietnamese cities per week.

While Asiana Airlines pushed up the number of flights to Vietnam, Korean Air is hoping to gain an edge with its new Airbus A380.

The company is the first among carriers in Northeast Asia to include the largest carrier in the world in its fleet. The company’s fleet will see five more A380 planes by the end of the year, and an additional five will be added by 2014.

The first A380, delivered to Korean Air on June 2, will begin flights to Tokyo’s Narita International Airport on June 17.

The subsequent A380s will be put into service on route to Bangkok in July, New York in August, Paris in September and Los Angeles in October, the company said.

By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)