The Muan-Ulsan Air Route Reopens After About 7 Months

Hi Air to Increase Flights on Jeju and Gimpo Routes... Expecting Revitalization of Muan International Airport

[Muan=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Yoon Jamin] The air route between Muan and Ulsan will reopen after more than seven months.

Jeonnam Province announced on the 10th that the small airline Hi Air will resume the Muan-Ulsan route starting July 1, and increase flights on the Jeju and Gimpo routes to once a week each from the 25th.

The Muan-Ulsan route was launched in September last year before the Chuseok holiday but suspended operations at the end of October due to the spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant and low passenger rates. However, it is now resuming due to the recent need to expand the domestic air network and the expected increase in tourism demand.

The flight schedule is twice a week on Fridays and Sundays. The flight departs from Ulsan Airport at 6:30 PM and arrives at Muan International Airport at 7:30 PM. The return flight departs from Muan International Airport at 7:50 PM and arrives at Ulsan Airport at 8:50 PM.

Currently, it takes more than four hours by car to travel the 350 km distance from the western region of Jeonnam to Ulsan, but using the Muan-Ulsan route will reduce travel time to one hour. This is expected to greatly contribute to communication between the two regions by facilitating economic activities and tourist movement between east and west.

The Muan-Jeju and Muan-Gimpo routes, which currently operate twice a week on Fridays and Sundays, will increase to three times a week on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, raising the number of domestic flights at Muan International Airport to eight per week across three routes.

The ATR72-500 aircraft operated by Hi Air is a twin-engine turboprop propeller plane.

It has been certified for safety by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The aircraft has 68 seats but only 50 are installed, providing spacious seating. The wings are mounted above the fuselage, allowing passengers to enjoy unobstructed outside views.

Jeonnam Province Road Traffic Division Chief Jeong Yunsu said, “The resumption of Hi Air’s Muan-Ulsan route is significant as it reopens the skyway connecting Yeongnam and Honam regions.” He added, “Along with the resumption and increase of domestic flights, we will do our best to ensure the smooth preparation of international flights such as Danang and Bangkok, expected to resume in July, so that Muan International Airport can be revitalized as soon as possible.”

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