Seoul Incheon International is subsidising the marketing costs of five trial routes as part of an incubator programme aimed at expanding the airport's network.
Participating airlines are Asiana Airlines, flying to Melbourne and Lisbon; low-cost carrier T'way Air, to Batam; and Korean Air, to Dalat and Krabi.
Cirium schedules data shows that Korean Air is operating the trial flights to Dalat with Boeing 737-900s, while Asiana will begin flying Boeing 777-200ERs to Melbourne in the next quarter.
The airport operator will subsidise the airlines' marketing costs by up to $50,000 over three years and offer additional funding of $20,000 if the route is converted to a regular service.
Under the same incubator programme, the operator signed a memorandum of understanding with Melbourne Tullamarine airport in September to attract new airlines and routes to the Oceania region.
It is also actively marketing its ability to support new flights and expanding routes, with plans to grow its network to 200 destinations.
"We plan to enhance the convenience of passengers by strengthening Incheon International airport's aviation network through new service and expansion of routes,” says Lim Byeong-gi, the airport's head of future business development.
