South Korean low-cost operator T’way Air is to launch flights to Sydney in December, marking its foray into the long-haul market months after adding widebody aircraft into its fleet.
The airline will operate four weekly flights between Seoul Incheon and Sydney from 23 December, deploying its Airbus A330s configured in a high-density layout of 347 seats.
T’way will be the first – and possibly only – low-cost operator to fly between South Korea and Australia. The airline says it received permits to fly to Sydney in February 2020, right before the coronavirus pandemic battered the global aviation industry.
Cirium schedules data shows only Korean Air and Asiana Airlines operate to Sydney from Seoul. Korean Air flies four times weekly with A330s, while Asiana – which will soon be merged into Korean Air – has five flights a week between the two cities.
At over 10h, the flights are T’way’s longest operation yet. To this end, the airline says it will tweak its inflight service, by offering complimentary meals and baggage.
“T’way Air… plans to provide essential services even at reasonable [fares]…to expand the options for frequent travellers such as Koreans, international students, and business travellers to and from Korea and Australia, as well as the increasing number of tourists from both countries and enhance travel convenience,” the airline says in a statement on 18 October.
It currently deploys its A330s on flights to Singapore, Bangkok and Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia. T’way, which took delivery of its first A330 in February, also operates a fleet of Boeing 737-800s.
