Airline News
South Korea signs traffic deals, Hawaiian poised to beat Jin
October 30th 2015
At the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO’s) Air Service Negotiation Event in Istanbul last week, South Korea and Austria agreed to lift limits on direct passenger flights, allowing unlimited capacity and frequencies between the countries and their respective carriers, the second such agreement South Korea has struck with a European nation after it signed a deal with Spain last year. Read More » At present, flag carrier Korean Air is the only choice for travel to Austria, with thrice-weekly frequencies to Vienna.
South Korean delegates told Yonhap News Agency they agreed to open thrice-weekly direct flights to Zimbabwe and worked out details of direct services between Busan and Ulaanbaatar. The ministry also said it had signed a pact to allow upwards of five flights a week between South Korea and Brunei, from two at present, and had talks with Switzerland, Azerbaijan, Singapore and Finland about revise existing aviation pacts to launch more flights down the line.
In other Korean aviation news, Hawaiian Airlines is confident about competing with Jin Air on the Incheon-Honolulu route the Korean Air budget offshoot plans to launch in December. “Hawaii is one of the most competitive markets in the world. We are used to competition. We are quite confident about competing with Jin Air by offering authentic Hawaiian culture that will make passengers feel their vacation has started the moment they board our flights,” Hawaiian Airlines president and CEO, Mark Dunkerley, said.
“Since we have started service in Korea in 2011, the market has grown tremendously and our occupancies have been going up,” Dunkerley said. There is added-value in booking with Hawaiian, Dunkerley argued because customers that purchase a round-trip ticket between Incheon and Honolulu would receive a complimentary hop to a neighbouring Hawaiian island in most fare classes.
Dunkerley’s sights are set on China. “Among Asian countries, the Japanese market is the most mature. Hawaii is well known in Korea, where the traveling wave started a decade back. Chinese tourists are not keen on Hawaii yet. Our job in China is to invest in inspiring theChinese to visit,” he said. At present, Hawaiian offers three times a week services between Beijing and Hawaii, matching rival Air China, while China Eastern Airlines flies four a week rotations between Pudong and Honolulu.
In a bid to woo more international passengers, the airline last week announced it is redesigning its business cabins, adding full-flat seats to its A330s from the second-quarter of 2016. The airline reported a $78.4 million adjusted net profit for the third quarter to September 30, based on lower fuel prices and robust demand.
