In response to rising demand, Five airlines will offer direct flights between Sydney and Incheon (South Korea’s primary international airport and gateway to Seoul) by the end of 2022.

South Korea’s national carriers, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, are now operating the Sydney to Incheon route daily, with Korean Air resuming the Brisbane to Incheon route in January 2023, three times a week.

Qantas’ inaugural flight to Incheon departed Sydney on 10 December 2022 and will operate four flights per week (Tue, Thu, Sat, Sun). Jetstar, which launched the Sydney to Incheon route earlier in November, is operating three flights per week (Wed, Fri, Sat) to the destination.

South Korea’s low cost carrier T’way Air, will launch the route from 24 December four times per week (Tue, Thu, Sat, Sun), aiming to offer more premium features such as upgraded and more spacious economy class seats, and fully reclining business class seats at a lower price point.

In 2019, South Korea welcomed 173,218 Australian travellers, a 13 percent increase from 2018. Throughout the three years since the COVID-19 outbreak, KTO Sydney ran various promotional campaigns and consumer and travel trade events to position South Korea as a new emerging Asian travel destination and keep the country top of mind in preparation for the resumption of travel. As a result, since April 2022 when South Korea reopened its border, there has been positive feedback from consumers and travel trade in terms of booking numbers and expanded partnerships. Now, thanks to the increased direct routes from Australia to South Korea, the Australian travel market to South Korea is likely to grow even stronger in 2023.