Korean Air has resumed service from Incheon, Korea, to Da Nang after a two-year closure due, by operating two chartered flights per week between the two cities.

Representative of Korean Air, Chung Eui Seock, said the airline restarted the post-COVID-19 air route by chartered flight before operating regular daily services to Da Nang from the end of July.

He said Da Nang was seen as a favourite destination by Korean tourists, and the airline would work with its top capacity to offer five-star flights between Da Nang and Incheon.

The flight will take off from Incheon, Korea, at 6.40pm (Korean time) and land at Da Nang Airport around 9.25pm, while departing from Da Nang at 10.50pm and arriving in Incheon at 5.30am next morning on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The airline, seen as the first Korean air service linking Da Nang and Korea, had operated 21 flights per week in the booming tourism period from 2012-19.

Korean Air alone had 20 flights linking cities in Viet Nam and Korea, including two daily flights from Incheon to Da Nang in the past years, but the service had to close in the pandemic crisis in 2020-21.

Deputy Director of the city’s tourism department Nguyen Xuan Binh said Korean airlines including Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air, Jin Air, Air Busan, Air Seoul and Tway Air plan to restart their air services from Busan, Seoul, Deagu, Cheong Ju to Da Nang in late of July.

Meanwhile, Malaysia Airlines, Hong Kong Express Airways, Cambodia Angkor Air, Bangkok Airways, Vietnam Airlines, and VietJetAir have committed to rescheduling their air service from Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Hong Kong, Siem Reap (Cambodia), Narita (Japan) and Bangkok (Thailand) from July.

Binh said Da Nang had hosted 286 flights with 35,000 passengers, of which 71 were from Korea with 12,000 tourists since the city reopened air routes in March.

He also said the Asia Routes Development Forum 2022 was a great success as it would create opportunities for the city’s tourism and aviation industry in the years to come.

Da Nang still maintains its position as one of Asia's 39 leading festival destinations.

Korean Air was one of the first two Korean airlines to come to Da Nang, creating a breakthrough for the market, Binh said, expressing his belief that the return of the Korean Air will have a positive impact on the recovery of the leading tourist market of Da Nang.

Chung Eui-seock, Chief Representative of Korean Air in Da Nang, said after restarting charter flights, Korean Air plans to fly daily to the city from July 27, 2022.

Da Nang is an attractive destination for Korean tourists, so the firm expects flights to be at maximum capacity, he said, adding that Korean Air, with 5-star flights, will offer interesting and memorable journeys to the city. — VNS