South Korean tourists now have the chance to fly direct to Scotland, following the launch of a new seasonal charter service.
Korean Air and its sister company, Hanjin Travel, have teamed up to launch direct flights between Seoul and Glasgow. Three services will operate in August 2016, carrying more than 1,000 South Korean tourists to Scotland’s largest city.
The inaugural flight, which was operated by Korean Air using an Airbus A330 aircraft, touched down at Glasgow Airport on 9 August, and two further services are due to arrive on 12 and 19 August.
“Securing the country’s first direct service with South Korea is a significant step both for Glasgow Airport and Scotland’s tourism industry,” said Amanda McMillan, managing director of Glasgow Airport.
“Hanjin Travel has been instrumental in encouraging the growth of South Korea’s outbound tourism market and this service represents an important step in further strengthening Scotland’s ties with Asia. We are looking forward to working closely with both Korean Air and Hanjin Travel to further develop their initial charter programme in the years ahead.”
Both Korean Air and Hanjin Travel form part of the Hanjin Group, South Korea’s largest conglomerate. In recent years, the two companies have expanded their European offerings with the launch of similar charter services to Oslo and Marseille. They are now considering further flights to Glasgow in 2017.
“We are very proud to introduce the wonderful city of Glasgow and indeed the whole of Scotland to our passengers. I am sure the city’s excellent shopping and wonderful architecture, alongside the world-renowned scenery of Scotland, will prove very popular with South Korean travellers,” said Oh Sang Kwon, president of Hanjin Travel.
Scotland’s tourism board also welcomed the arrival.
“We are very pleased to welcome our first visitors from Seoul on this new direct charter service, which makes it easier for the people of South Korea to enjoy a trip to Scotland and discover all that our amazing country has to offer,” said Malcolm Roughead, chief executive of VisitScotland. “Scotland is more connected than ever before through transport… and we look forward to welcoming more visitors from the Far East in the months and years ahead.”
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