HCM CITY: South Korea’s national carrier, Korean Air, recently launched its inaugural flight to Phu Quoc island, a popular leisure destination for beachgoers, nature lovers and families.
Phu Quoc is Korean Air’s fifth scheduled destination in Vietnam after Danang, Hanoi, HCM City and Nha Trang.
The flight to Phu Quoc successfully touched down on Sunday as scheduled, and the airline will serve the route daily with its Airbus A330-300 fleet, configured in a two-class layout of 284 seats, 24 of them in prestige class and 260 in economy.
The daily service departs Seoul Incheon at 3:45pm and lands at Phu Quoc at 7:50pm.
The return flight departs Phu Quoc at 9:20pm and arrives in Seoul Incheon the following day at 4:50am.
Travellers from Vietnam may also transit conveniently at Terminal 2 on Korean Air’s extensive network to, for example, 13 destinations in North America and nine destinations in Japan.
"Vietnam is one of the most popular destinations for South Koreans, especially during the winter season,” said Kyeyong Kim, Vietnam Country manager, Korean Air.
“We are happy to assist Vietnam develop its tourism potential by providing convenient air services to international passengers seeking to visit this special destination.”
Vietnam is a hugely popular destination for South Korean travellers. The Korean market has consistently accounted for the largest proportion in Vietnam's international arrivals.
There were 2.58 million Korean arrivals to Vietnam from January to September 2023, according to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism.
Phu Quoc, also known as Pearl Island, is Vietnam's largest island and a designated Unesco biosphere reserve.
The island is home to pristine white beaches and lush evergreen forests. From marine activities to the allure of a national park and family-friendly resorts, the island is a year-round haven for sunseekers, with November signalling the beginning of the dry season.
Operating for more than 50 years, Korean Air is one of the world's top 20 airlines, carrying more than 27 million passengers in 2019, pre-Covid. With its global hub at Incheon International Airport (ICN), the airline serves 120 cities in 43 countries on five continents with a modern fleet of 159 aircraft and over 20,000 professional employees.
Korean Air is a founding member of the SkyTeam airline alliance, and has grown into one of the largest trans-pacific airlines through its joint venture with Delta Air Lines. — Vietnam News/ANN
