Incheon Airport Corporation and China Southern Airlines Cooperate to Expand Korea-China Air Routes

Active Participation in K-Tourism Promotion Policy
Proposal to Cooperate on Increasing Transfer Demand

Incheon International Airport Corporation announced on the 18th that, in line with the government’s “K-Tourism 30 Million Visitors” policy goal, it held discussions with the management of China Southern Airlines to expand Korea-China air routes and strengthen cooperation on transfer services.

Participants are posing for a commemorative photo at the "Incheon International Airport Corporation - China Southern Airlines Route Cooperation Meeting" held in the conference room of the Incheon International Airport Corporation building on the morning of the 17th. Photo by Incheon International Airport Corporation

China Southern Airlines, which connects over 200 cities worldwide with Guangzhou as its hub, is one of China’s largest airlines. This visit by the executive team of a major Chinese airline marks the first such occasion since Incheon Airport opened in 2001.

The meeting was attended by Vice President Kim Beomho of Incheon International Airport Corporation, Vice President Wang Zhen of China Southern Airlines, and key managers from both companies’ sales and route network divisions.

The two companies discussed close cooperation measures regarding the flight schedule for the 2026 summer season (March 29 to October 24). With the relaxation of visa policies between Korea and China recently taking effect, travel demand has surged. In response, China Southern Airlines plans to operate a record-high 12,400 flights and provide 2.14 million seats on the Incheon-China routes, while also launching new non-scheduled routes.

Last year, 12.36 million air passengers traveled between Incheon Airport and China, a 23% increase compared to 2024, and passenger numbers continue to grow this year. Accordingly, demand for Incheon Airport-China routes, which had recovered more slowly after COVID-19, is expected to surpass the previous record of 13.58 million passengers set in 2019, reaching an all-time high.

Kim Beomho, Vice President of Incheon International Airport Corporation, stated, “China Southern Airlines’ proactive efforts to expand Incheon routes are expected to greatly support our government’s inbound tourism promotion policy. We introduced the interline support program, which has been in operation since last year to increase transfer traffic between Incheon and China, and proposed that China Southern Airlines participate more actively and strengthen cooperation.”

Interline is a system that allows passengers to connect multiple flight segments using a single ticket, based on agreements between airlines.

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