South Korea and China have agreed to significantly increase air travel capacity between the two countries, marking the first expansion of flight rights in seven years and signalling improving relations between the neighbouring nations.
The agreement was reached during bilateral aviation talks held in Seoul on May 27 and 28, according to South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
Under the new arrangement, weekly passenger flight rights will rise from 608 to 664 flights, while cargo flight rights will increase from 54 to 68 weekly services.
Officials said the expanded capacity will allow airlines to add more flights on popular routes that are already operating at full capacity, including services connecting Incheon with Shanghai and Guangzhou.
The deal will also strengthen links between South Korea’s regional airports, such as Busan and Cheongju, and major Chinese cities including Guangzhou, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Chongqing and Xi’an.
The move comes as travel demand between the two countries continues to recover strongly. Passenger traffic during the first quarter of the year reached approximately 4.39 million travellers, surpassing the pre-pandemic figure of 4.14 million.
South Korea’s aviation policy chief, Lee So-young, described the agreement as a timely achievement amid growing exchanges between the two countries.
She said the expanded flight rights are expected to encourage more Chinese tourists to visit South Korea, improve travel convenience for citizens and businesses, and support economic growth by creating new opportunities for South Korean airlines in the Chinese market.
Authorities also confirmed that the newly secured flight rights will be distributed to South Korean carriers during the second half of the year.
The latest agreement is being viewed as another positive sign of strengthening economic and people-to-people ties between Asia’s two major economies, as demand for travel and trade continues to climb.
