Melbourne (TAN): Australian budget carrier will operate the country’s first low-cost nonstop service to South Korea starting December 8, 2019.
The airline, flying between Australia’s Gold Coast and Seoul in South Korea three times each week, will become ‘the only low-cost carrier to fly direct to Seoul from Australia’, Jetstar said.
Jetstar Group Chief Executive Officer Gareth Evans said South Korea could soon become a popular choice for Australian travellers.
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“By introducing low fares to Seoul, we expect that South Korea will be a country that jumps to the top of many Australian traveller’s bucket lists. Seoul and its surrounding regions offer visitors the opportunity to explore South Korea’s rich cultural history, vibrant nightlife and food scene,” he said.
“We know from experience that low cost flights have a strong influence on setting tourism trends, which we’ve seen in markets like Japan where the number of Australian visitors has doubled since we first launched flights in 2007,” he continued.
The new service is expected to attract over 50,000 travellers per year, and boost business worth over AUD 170 million in Gold Coast.
The demand for low-cost flights between the two countries could be strong, since ‘South Korea is an under-served market from Australia’.
“Research shows that South Korean travellers consistently rank Australia as the top destination they want to visit, but they were unlikely to travel without low-cost direct flights. South Koreans already travel more frequently than any other nationality in the Asia Pacific, so there’s no doubt they will take advantage of these new direct flights to Australia,” Evans said.
“The Gold Coast offers the perfect gateway for tourists visiting Australia with its famous beaches and attractions, and direct Jetstar flights connecting to seven other destinations across the country,” he added.
Jetstar will use its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner to serve the route.
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According to the schedule, flight JQ49 will depart Gold Coast on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays at 1320 hours, and reach Seoul at 2200 hours, local time.
The return flight JQ50 will take off from Seoul on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays at 2330 hours, arriving at Gold Coast at 0945 hours the next day.
Jetstar will operate the service in a codeshare partnership with South Korean airline Jeju Air.
