Korean cargo carrier Air Incheon is seeking authorisation to open services to several US destinations from mid-2025.
The expansion has emerged from its planned acquisition of Asiana Airlines’ cargo operations as part of last year’s merger between Asiana and Korean Air.
Air Incheon, which was founded in 2012, started services with Boeing 737-400 freighters, introducing a 767-300ER in 2018 and subsequently a batch of 737-800s.
But Asiana’s divestment of its cargo activities included freighter aircraft, slots and traffic rights, and means Air Incheon can expand its long-haul operations.
Air Incheon is proposing scheduled services on the Seoul-Anchorage-Chicago routes, from which it would also serve Dallas-Seattle and Atlanta.
It is also looking to operate Seoul-Los Angeles, with an onward connection to San Francisco, as well as Seoul-Anchorage with onward service to New York JFK and Brussels.
These routes would be served primarily with Boeing 747-400 freighters, with 767s potentially being used on the Los Angeles sector.
Air Incheon has informed the US Department of Transportation that it plans to commence flights on 1 July.
It states that, as a result of the Asiana deal, it will become South Korea’s second-largest cargo airline.
Air Incheon has identified 10 747-400 freighter airframes, and a single 767-300, which it plans to incorporate following completion of the Asiana business acquisition.
As part of its US application Air Incheon is also requesting permission for on-demand charter flights.
