The South Korean government has allocated rights for 25 international routes to 10 airlines, expanding opportunities for low-cost carriers to operate flights between South Korea and China, The Korea Herald reported.
The allocation includes additional services linking Incheon with major Chinese cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Dalian, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Korea Times reported.
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Passengers at Incheon International Airport, South Korea. Photo by AFP |
Weekly flight entitlements on the Incheon-Beijing route increased from 38 to 52, while those on the Incheon-Shanghai route rose from 56 to 63.
Entitlements for Guangzhou and Dalian each increased from 21 to 28 flights per week.
Nanjing saw an increase from 11 to 14, while Changsha and Hangzhou each rose from 10 to 14.
The move comes amid a surge in Chinese tourism to South Korea.
The country welcomed 3.99 million tourists from mainland China in the first seven months of 2026, up 27.5% from the same period last year.
Ranked the world’s second best airport after Singapore Changi in the 2026 Skytrax World Airport Awards, Incheon handled 38.39 million international passengers in the first half of this year, a 6.3% increase from the same period last year.