Korean domestic low-cost carriers (LCCs) are looking expand their long-haul operations in coming months.
In response to increasing tourism figures and a relatively crowded local market, carriers such as Jin Air, Asiana Airlines subsidiary Air Busan and Jeju Air are all said to be eyeing the possibility of expanding into long-haul routes.
According to figures from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT), LCCs now account for nearly 40% of total domestic air traffic in Korea. This points to a significant slowdown in potential expansion from original rates of some 10% a year when LCCs first launched in Korea.
Jin Air CEO Ma Won confirmed the airline is planning to expand flights “beyond its current boundary of Phuket” in Thailand, and will look to other long-haul destinations including Hawaii, Australia and possibly Europe. “The only way to achieve a breakthrough in growth is to offer long-range flights that go beyond Phuket,” he said.
Air Busan is already extending its reach with a deal offered through AirAsia, with flights from Kuala Lumpur to Jeju using Air Busan for the final Busan-Jeju leg.
Reports also indicate Jin Air wants to add Airbus A330s or Boeing 777s to its fleet to serve new long-haul destinations. Air Busan is also investigating flying deeper into Asia, to Australia and possibly Turkey, where its links with Turkish Airlines via the Star Alliance network would be an advantage.