Korean Air is planning to launch scheduled charter flights between Seoul Incheon and Kobe from the spring of 2025, the airline and Kobe City announced on September 24, 2024. The airport is working toward being able to accommodate international flights by building a new terminal and expanding ramp capacity and Korean Air is the first international airline to have announced intention to serve it.
While the exact details of the flights have not been announced yet, they are expected to launch in time for Expo 2025, which will start on April 13, 2025. In spite of technically being charter flights, they are expected to operate indefinitely. “We want to operate two roundtrips a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon,” said Korean Air’s Regional Director & Managing Vice President, Japan, Lee Suk Woo, when announcing the new route.
Korean Air plans to operate the flights using Airbus A321neo aircraft with 182 seats including eight in business and 174 in economy class.
The airline will sell the tickets both directly, allowing passengers to travel not only between Kobe and Seoul Incheon but also to other destinations around the world, as well as to travel agencies. Korean Air will aim for an at least 85% load factor on the route.
The Seoul – Kobe route will complement the airline’s existing flights between Seoul and Osaka Kansai Airport, which is less than an hour away from Kobe Airport by ferry. Korean Air currently offers two daily flights from Seoul Gimpo and four daily flights from Seoul Incheon to Kansai alongside several other airlines offering more than two dozen flights a day between the two cities.