Competition among Korean airlines becomes even more fierce during the COVID-19 period as the Korean national airline - Korean Air will also enter the market of exploiting "international travel flights without landing".
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said on February 3 that Korean Air would operate the first "international travel without landing" flight to Japan and back to Korea on February 27.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport for the first time allowed domestic airlines to promote "international travel without landing" in December last year. In August 2020, low-cost carriers (LCC) launched domestic non-landing travel flights for high school students and students majoring in aviation and tourism. This form of travel has been extended to residents on domestic routes since October and to international routes since December last year.
In January 2021, the airlines welcomed 1,212 tourists, a decrease compared to December 2020 (1,520 passengers), but the proportion of passengers on the flight reached 75.2%, higher than December (49%). The proportion of passengers on the flight is based on the number of seats that can be operated except for the isolated space and the free seats to maintain the distance.
