Seoul-based Asiana Airlines plans to resume some more routes to China after suspending them due to pandemic-related air travel restrictions.
After a hiatus of around 2.5 years, the South Korean carrier will restart serving direct flights between Incheon (ICN) in South Korea to Hangzhou (HGH) and Shenzhen (SZX) in China. The routes will be resumed on November 2 and November 29, 2022, respectively. Each destination will be served once per week, according to a statement from the airline seen by The Korea Times on October 26, 2022.
The air carrier has recently resumed some regular flights out of its base at Shenzhen Baoan International Airport to a total of four destinations in China, including Changchun (CGQ), Beijing (PEK), Harbin (HRB), and Nanjing (NKG).
Reports suggest that Asiana Airlines may start operating the Incheon – Changchun route with its single 24.4-year-old Boeing 747-400 Queen of the Skies, registered HL7428, which has spent long months in storage during the peak of the pandemic.
The news follows the Chinese government’s decision to gradually ease COVID-19 virus-related air restrictions. In July 2022, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) initiated negotiations with foreign airlines over the progressive resumption of scheduled international passenger flights.