SK Innovation's Charter Flight Operation for Transporting Korean Residents in Hungary

Chartered Flight Returns with 110 People After Dispatching Technical Personnel to Expand Electric Vehicle Battery Factory

First Case of Corporate-Government Unity in Transporting Overseas Koreans Amid COVID-19 Crisis

Plans to Cooperate with Battery Competitor Samsung SDI for Personnel Transport

[Asia Economy Reporter Park So-yeon] A chartered flight operated by SK Innovation carrying more than 110 overseas Koreans and expatriates staying in Hungary arrived at Incheon International Airport on the 7th. This is the first case of a company coordinating with various governments to transport overseas Koreans back home since the global spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

According to SK Innovation and related industries, the special temporary flight by Korean Air took off from Budapest Airport, Hungary, at 4 p.m. local time on the 6th and landed at Incheon International Airport around 10 a.m. on the 7th. The passengers arriving this time included about 70 local Korean residents in Hungary and about 40 SK Group expatriates and partner company employees, totaling approximately 110 people. The airfare was around 1 million KRW, and customers accompanied by infants or young children were upgraded to business class seats, showing consideration for families traveling together.

SK Innovation dispatched the chartered flight to Hungary this time to urgently send technical personnel for the expansion of the local electric vehicle battery factory. Earlier, on the 5th, the company had sent about 300 of its technical staff and partner company employees to Hungary via a chartered flight.

Meanwhile, SK plans to send another chartered flight to Hungary in May in cooperation with battery competitor Samsung SDI. Although the two companies are competitors in the battery business, they reportedly agreed to cooperate as the COVID-19 situation worsened.

An industry insider said, "With restrictions on personnel movement within Europe, there is a high demand for specialized personnel to be deployed on-site. Although they are competitors, as Korean companies engaged in fair competition overseas, they are looking for ways to cooperate."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.