Si va verso una progressiva liberalizzazione dei 'cieli' tra China/S.Korea


Korea, China to More Than Double Air Flights


By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter

The number of flights between South Korea and China will more than double, and air transportation between Korea and China’s Shandong province will be liberalized.

The Ministry of Construction and Transportation said yesterday that the two governments agreed to gradually liberalize air transportation between the two countries during aviation talks held in Weihai, China, from Monday through yesterday.

``China is an important air market to Korea, considering its big population and rapid economic growth. The agreement is expected to greatly increase exchanges between the two nations and offer convenience to travelers,’’ a ministry official said.

As a first step, the two countries will immediately liberalize air operations between China’s Shandong province and the whole of Korea. The liberalization will enable the two countries’ airlines to operate as many flights as they want in the region.

For other Chinese regions, apart from Shandong province, the number of operations will see an additional 10 new routes, laying the foundation for an integrated aviation market in Northeast Asia.

The number of weekly flights will increase from the current 204 on 33 routes to 401 on 43 routes. Eighty flights on 10 routes will open for the first time, including 21 flights on the Seoul-Dalian route and five flights on the Kwangju-Beijing route.

A total of 117 flights will be added on 19 existing routes among the 33. The number of operations will double on the Seoul-Beijing route, from 21 to 42, and triple for the Pusan-Beijing route, from seven to 21.

Cargo flights will also increase, moving from 24 each week to 36.

"The combined total number of flights by the two countries, both passenger and cargo, now stands at 874 per week. Korea has become China’s largest partner in air transportation followed by Japan, with which China operates a total of 592 flights,’’ the official said.

The expansion will provide travelers between the two countries with a greater choice of flights and regions. In 2005, China was Korea’s second largest market in passenger transport, with 6.5 million people, or 22.1 percent of total passengers, coming from China to Korea and vice versa.

``The increase will also help Incheon International Airport become a logistics hub in Northeast Asia and activate provincial airports,’’ the official said.

Shandong province, with a population of 95 million and an area of 150,000 square kilometers, has a dozen large cities, including Weihai, Qingdao, Yantai and Jinan. Some 10,000 Korean companies including subsidiaries of Samsung and LG are doing business there.

The two nations also agreed to gradually liberalize air transportation in more regions of China through annual aviation talks.



- THE KOREA TIMES -



P.S.

Ricordo che l'obiettivo di KE nei prossimi anni è quello di volare in circa 50 città cinesi e sicuramente anche le compagnie cinesi si daranno da fare.