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Fly Gangwon to launch in October
September 13th 2019
Domestic flights will be followed by international services by the end of the year. Read More »
Korea’s Fly Gangwon is preparing to receive its first aircraft this month and launch domestic flights on October 15 and international flights by the end of the year. Possible international destinations are Taiwan and Bangkok, according to local newspaper Gangwon Ilbo.
Its first aircraft is a 737-800, following the trend of Korean LCCs preferring Boeing’s short-haul workhorse. The aircraft is a seven-year-old frame on lease and due to arrive at the airline on September 16. It has 186 seats in an all-economy configuration. It previously flew with Norwegian Air Shuttle, as did some aircraft used by other Korean LCCs.
In a restructuring, Norwegian is returning young and middle-aged aircraft to lessors. An unintended benefit to Korean LCCs is the nicer interior of Norwegian’s 737s with Boeing Sky Interior and in-flight wifi, although the latter is usually disabled.
Fly Gangwon is the first of three start-ups to start flying after Korea granted them business licenses in a long and competitive process earlier this year. The two other businesses awarded licenses, Aero K and Air Premia, plan to launch in 2020. Start-up Hi Air was granted a license as part of a different proceeding since it is initially following a regional airline business model. It will launch with ATRs.
The three licenses were awarded on the grounds they had different business scopes to most of Korea’s new airline entrants, which focus on short-haul flights from Seoul and Busan. Air Premia will offer hybrid service on long-haul flights while Fly Gangwon and Aero K are short-haul LCCs based in regional cities. Fly Gangwon’s base is at Yangyang airport in namesake Gangwon province.
Yangyang was the gateway for the winter 2018 Olympics at Pyeongchang. Fly Gangwon hopes to benefit from post-Olympic awareness of the area.
