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Hi Air expects to start service in October
August 23rd 2019
Regional Korean start-up could later change its business model. Read More »
Korean start-up, Hi Air, expects to secure its AOC at the end of September ahead of launching commercial flights by October 31. Hi Air will use two ATR-72-500s operating from its base at Ulsan, near Busan, to Gimpo up to six times a day. The aircraft typically seats 72, but Hi Air has selected a low-density 50-seat configuration.
Ulsan is on the high-speed KTX line between Seoul and Busan, putting Hi Air in competition with low train fares. This may be too much exposure even if the new carrier focuses on business travellers, observers suggest.
Hi Air is in a different situation from the three start-ups that received business licenses, in a highly competitive process, from Korean regulators earlier this year. As a regional operator, Hi Air is in a different category, which made it easier to secure approval for its launch. It is being speculated the airline will later convert its business from a regional to a main airline.
