Air Busan resumes flights to China amid pandemic

Air Busan Co., the budget carrier unit of Asiana Airlines Inc., said Friday it has resumed flights to China as it obtained quarantine approval from the country.

Air Busan is offering one flight per week on the Incheon-Shenzhen route on Fridays, the company said in a statement.

"The company is targeting to increase the number of flights on the route to Shenzhen depending on the Chinese authorities' guidance," the statement said.

The company also aims to restart services on the Incheon-Ningbo route in August, it said.

Air Busan had suspended all of its flights on international routes since March 9 as countries closed their borders or imposed entry restrictions on incoming passengers amid coronavirus fears.

China's aviation authorities have limited airlines to one flight per week since late March to stem the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic through incoming passengers. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has been in consultations with its Chinese counterpart to increase the number of flights.

Asiana Airlines Inc. restarted services on the Incheon-Nanjing route, one flight per week, Sunday. The carrier has operated one flight a week on the Incheon-Changchun route.

Jin Air Co. also resumed flights to Xian, one flight a week, on Thursday.

Two other Korean carriers -- Korean Air Lines Co. and Jeju Air Co. -- have offered one flight per week on the Incheon-Shenyang route and the Incheon-Weihai route, respectively.

With the resumption of Air Busan's flights to Shenzhen and Asiana's flights to Nanjing, six routes to China are available. (Yonhap)