South Korea and Indonesia are looking at expanding the number of flights between their secondary airports, as part of efforts to liberalise air traffic rights for both countries.
The agreement, which follows bilateral talks held in Batam, will see South Korean and Indonesian operators allowed to fly between six regional airports in South Korea – Busan, Daegu, Cheongju, Jeju, Muan and Yangyang – and Indonesia’s Batam, Manado, Lombok, Yogyakarta, Balikpapan and Kertajati airports.
South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) notes that the new agreement will “alleviate the inconveniences” of having to only use Seoul’s Incheon airport as the only gateway into the country.
Similarly, the ministry says the agreement provides Korean travellers more options to enter Indonesia, beyond Jakarta or Bali.
Korean Air and Asiana currently operate one daily flight each from Incheon and Jakarta, while Garuda Indonesia flies four times weekly. On Incheon-Bali, Korean flies 11 times a week, while Garuda operates four flights weekly.
MOLIT also greenlit connections from Incheon to the Indonesian cities of Batam and Manado, and also allowed flights between Jakarta and Bali to South Korea’s secondary airports.
The expansion of connections between both countries will “revitalise” regional airports, the ministry adds.
Separately, MOLIT has allowed Korean and Indonesian operators to “freely codeshare” on flights to Bali, noting that during peak travel seasons, “it can be difficult to purchase tickets” on the route.
