KOTA KINABALU: Korea’s first low-cost airline, Jeju Air, has increased its frequency for the Incheon-Kota Kinabalu route from seven to 11 flights weekly from September 1 to October 26 this year.
The move is poised to bring more Korean tourists to Kota Kinabalu, as well as offers flexibility for Sabahans who are visiting Korea in the autumn season.
The airline has decided to increase its flights to destinations in the south during the autumn season to offset the expected decline in the Japan market due to anti-Japan sentiment in Korea.
Apart from increasing the flight frequency from Incheon to Southeast Asia, Jeju Air will also mount a four-time weekly direct flight from Daegu to Cebu on September 17.
Additionally, Jeju Air will offer three more flights per week for the Incheon-Macau route from September 9 to October 26; while the airline will also fly from Incheon to Kaohsiung up to five times weekly from September 1 to October 20; and Incheon to Chiang Mai up to seven times weekly from September 11 to 29.
As of August 20, the airline recorded 384,900 pre-booked tickets to Southeast Asia destinations in September and October, which is an increase of 58.3 per cent compared to the same period last year.
There are 202,500 flight tickets booked in September alone, registering an increase of 37 per cent compared to the year before.
In comparison, flight bookings to Japan in October has decreased by 30 per cent compared to the same period last year.