SEOUL 4 June 2019: Changi Airport Group has signed a partnership agreement with Busan Metropolitan City, Korea Airports Corporation, and three airlines to promote two-way trade and tourism between South Korean and Singapore.
In addition to the two airport companies and Busan City, Eastar Jet, Jeju Air and SilkAir are the participating airline partners in the commercial pact, signed 31 May.
The one-year partnership follows the allocation of traffic rights to South Korean airlines Eastar Jet and Jeju Air, as well as SilkAir to operate flights on the Singapore-Busan route.
SilkAir’s four weekly services to Busan started 1 May, while Jeju Air will commence service to Singapore 4 July. Eastar Jet is expected to start flights later this year.
The collaboration aims to strengthen air connectivity between Singapore and Busan and raise awareness of the respective airlines’ product offerings. In the coming year, residents and travellers from both cities can expect various on-ground events such as road shows, travel fairs and campaigns as Changi, Korea Airports Corporation and Busan City work closely to provide support for the three airlines to grow the Singapore–Busan route.
Busan had been identified by OAG – a leading provider of digital flight information, intelligence and analytics – as the top unserved market for Changi Airport, with an estimated indirect two-way traffic exceeding 75,000 passenger movements annually. This new nonstop route will offer greater convenience for travellers, including additional low-cost carrier options to South Korea.
With Changi’s strong nonstop connectivity to 42 cities in Southeast Asia and 12 cities in Australia and New Zealand, travellers from Busan and its metropolitan area can capitalise on the new services for onward travel to these destinations.
Commenting on this development, Lim Ching Kiat, Managing Director, Air Hub Development of Changi Airport Group, said: “For many years, connectivity between Singapore and South Korea has been limited to Seoul with around 60 weekly services. This exciting partnership shows our collective commitment to work together to ensure the sustainable development of this route in the years ahead. The MOU signifies a breakthrough achievement and positive development in this effort.”
South Korea ranks 13 among Changi Airport’s top passenger markets. In 2018, 1.46 million passenger movements were registered between Changi (SIN) and Incheon (ICN) airports. From 2013 to 2018, the five-year compounded annual growth rate for passenger traffic on this route was 5.4%.
