After a 15-year absence, Qantas has resumed operations to South Korea with service between Sydney (SYD) and Seoul – Incheon (ICN). The South Korean capital is the 28th destination the airline has resumed or launched as a new route since Australian borders were reopened.
Flight QF 87, operated by an Airbus A330 registered VH-QPF, took off from Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) at 10:09 local time and landed at Incheon International Airport (ICN) at 17:47, after nine hours and 37 minutes.
Qantas has recently launched new routes to countries where not served previously, as Delhi (DEL) and Bangalore (BLR) in India and Rome (FCO) in Italy.
This new service, which will complement JetStar’s Sydney (SYD) and Seoul (ICN) services, will offer more than 200,000 seats annually between Australia and South Korea, with customers having the option of premium or low fares.
«The combination of Qantas and Jetstar means we can provide business, premium leisure and low-cost travel options to a destination that suits different budgets, with good connections for those traveling to and from other parts of Australia,» said Andrew David, CEO of Qantas Domestic and International.
Flight Itinerary
- Sydney – Seoul/Incheon Flight QF 87 SYD 09:35 – ICN 18:20 Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
- Seoul/Incheon – Sydney Flight QF 88 ICN 19:50 – SYD 08:15+1 Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
The route will be operated by Airbus A330-300 aircraft with a capacity of 297 passengers in two classes (28 Business Class/269 Economy).
Route details
- This route operates throughout the year.
- Between May and October, service is reduced to three weekly flights.
According to data obtained by Aviacionline through the Australian Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development, 417,552 passengers and 8,343.8 tons of cargo were moved in the June 2018-2019 period between Sydney (SYD) and Seoul/Incheon (ICN).
«We are delighted that the NSW Government’s Aviation Attraction Fund has created this opportunity to bring more people from Seoul to Sydney, providing a boost for our tourism operators,» said Ben Franklin, NSW Minister for Tourism.
Qantas is the only full-service Australian airline to offer services between Australia and South Korea and is the fourth largest airline operator in this segment. Currently, JetStar, Korean Air and Asiana operate in this market.
