Korean LCC plans Croatia flights
Korean low cost carrier (LCC) T’Way Air has applied and received a necessary permit from the Korean Ministry for Land, Infrastructure and Transport to launch commercial flights between Seoul and Croatia. It comes after the national carrier Korean Air confirmed it would suspend its seasonal operations between Seoul and Zagreb for the rest of the year due to the coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic. The ministry allocates airline transportation rights each year. T’way Air has been granted a permit for four weekly flights to Croatia. It took Korean Air just a few months to commence services to Zagreb in 2018 once it received the all-clear from the ministry, however, due to the ongoing pandemic, it is unlikely for the low cost airline to launch operations to Croatia shortly.
T’Way Air boasts a fleet of almost thirty narrow-body Boeing aircraft. It soon plans to finalise a letter of intent for the acquisition of wide-body jets, which would enable it to launch services to Croatia and elsewhere. The airline currently maintains flights to destinations in Asia and Russia and, along with Croatia, plans to introduce services to Tajikistan as well. There has been an increased interest from Asian low cost carriers for Croatia. Thai AirAsia X scheduled a number of charter flights between Bangkok and Zagreb for this summer season, although none are likely to materialise due to the coronavirus. The long haul low cost airline planned to operate a handful of services between the Thai and Croatian capitals in May and October. Scheduled dates included May 1, May 6 and May 11. There are flights also scheduled for October 13 and October 19.
Some half a million Korean tourists visit Croatia on an annual basis. Korean Air handled 43.123 passengers on its flights between Seoul and Zagreb last year. While Zagreb is the main point of entry for Korean tourists, Dubrovnik continues to be one of the main drawcards for travellers. Last year, local authorities in Dubrovnik said they were pursuing flights from South Korea. “It is very important for us to improve connectivity with Korea. It is a big market and we could attract even more tourists", the Mayor of Dubrovnik said at the time. Dubrovnik Airport has identified South Korea as a market which could sustain services to the coastal city.
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