Over the weekend Australian flag carrier Qantas launched its first direct service between Sydney and Seoul in more than 15 years. Qantas’s return to Seoul marks the 28th international destination that Qantas has launched or resumed since Australia’s borders reopened just over a year ago.
The 11-hour Qantas flights to Seoul will operate four days per week during the peak summer season with the workhorse of Qantas’s medium haul flights with its Airbus A330 aircraft. Flights will operate three times a week between May and October and coupled with Jetstar’s recent began 3 times weekly service on the same route will offer a total of 7 weekly weekly and over 200,000 seats annually on the route across the Qantas group.
Qantas Domestic and International CEO Andrew David said the national carrier was adding international capacity as quickly as it could to meet growing demand.
“What we’ve seen this year is that there is no shortage of Australians wanting to travel overseas again and we know South Korea is at the top of the list for many,” said Mr David.
“Australia has also grown in popularity as a destination for South Korean travellers, so we’re pleased to be welcoming more visitors just in time for them to experience summer in Sydney and beyond.
“We’ve had a fantastic response from travelers in both directions since tickets first went on sale with strong demand particularly around the upcoming peak school holiday period, which is terrific for Australia’s tourism and small business operators.
“The combination of Qantas and Jetstar means we can provide business, premium leisure and low-cost travel options to a destination that caters to different budgets, with good connections for those travelling to and from other parts of Australia.
NSW Minister for Tourism Ben Franklin said the new route would accelerate visitation from one of the state’s key international markets.
“We’re thrilled 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,” Mr Franklin said.
“In the year ended December 2019, NSW welcomed approximately 196,200 visitors from South Korea, accounting for $558 million in visitor expenditure and putting it in our top five markets.”
Qantas flight QF87 is scheduled to depart Sydney at 9.35am on Tuesday, Thursdays, Saturday and Sundays before arriving into Seoul at 6.20pm that evening. The inbound flight QF88 will be wheels out of Seoul at 7.50pm before arriving into Sydney at 8.15am the following morning.
