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Jetstar will be the first Australian carrier in more than a decade to fly to South Korea with its own aircraft when it launches nonstop flights between the Gold Coast and Seoul Incheon in December 2019.
The Qantas-owned low-cost carrier (LCC) plans to fly to Seoul Incheon three times a week, with the inaugural service to take off on December 8.
The flights have been scheduled as an afternoon departure from the Gold Coast on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, arriving at Seoul Incheon late in the evening. The return service is an overnight flight that lands back on the Gold Coast in the morning.
The route will be served with Boeing 787-8s that have 335 seats comprising 21 business class recliners in a 2-3-2 configuration with 38-inch pitch and 314 economy class seats at nine abreast with 30-inch pitch.
Jetstar group chief executive Gareth Evans said he expected the new flights would stimulate demand at both ends of the route.
“By introducing low fares to Seoul, we expect that South Korea will be a country that jumps to the top of many Australian traveller’s bucket lists,” Evans said in a statement.
“South Koreans already travel more frequently than any other nationality in the Asia Pacific, so there’s no doubt they will take advantage of these new direct flights to Australia.
“The Gold Coast offers the perfect gateway for tourists visiting Australia with its famous beaches and attractions, and direct Jetstar flights connecting to seven other destinations across the country.”
Currently, Asiana Airlines and Korean Air are the only two airlines with year-round nonstop flights between Australia and South Korea.
Asiana flies to Sydney, while Korean Air has nonstop flights to Brisbane and Sydney.
Meanwhile, South Korean LCC Jin Air has served Cairns with seasonal flights in recent years.
Jetstar said another South Korean LCC, Jeju Air would codeshare on its Gold Coast-Seoul Incheon flight.
Gold Coast Airport said the new route represented an additional 52,260 seats into the south-east Queensland city.
“South Korean visitation to the Gold Coast and northern New South Wales increased by 53 per cent last year, so there is a significant growing demand to connect our regions,” Queensland Airports chief executive Chris Mills said in a statement.
(Queensland Airports is the owner of Gold Coast Airport.)
New service: Jetstar will commence a three times-weekly service from Gold Coast Airport to Seoul from December 8^. Full story: https://t.co/l8vBoYZw1Z
^Subject to Government and Regulatory approval. pic.twitter.com/c2TgnWBG6q— Gold Coast Airport (@gcairport) May 3, 2019
Gold Coast Airport said the new route was supported by the Queensland government’s attracting aviation investment fund, Queensland Airports and Destination Gold Coast.
Destination Gold Coast chief executive Annaliese Battista noted Gold Coast was the third most popular Australian destination for South Korean visitors.
Qantas last served South Korea with its own aircraft in the mid-2000s when it flew Boeing 767-300ERs on seasonal services between Brisbane and Seoul. It also had year-round flights to Seoul in the late 1990s.
Ansett Australia also flew to Seoul in the late 1990s.
Jetstar’s schedule for its Boeing 787-8 Gold Coast-Seoul Incheon flights
Flight Number/Routing |
Days of operation |
Time of departure |
Time of arrival |
|
JQ49 Gold Coast-Seoul Incheon |
Wednesday, Friday, Sunday |
13:20 |
22:00 |
|
JQ50 Seoul Incheon-Gold Coast |
Wednesday, Friday, Sunday |
23:30 |
09:45+1 |
https://www.facebook.com/JetstarAustralia/videos/vb.144075565636170/282953745979070/
VIDEO: A Jetstar cabin crew member talks about the upcoming flights to Seoul in a promotional video from the airline’s Facebook page.
David McCue
says:737-300ER…………..When did they make these and it sure is a long way for a 737 !!………..maybe a 767-300
australianaviation.com.au
says:Dear David,
You are indeed correct. Apologies for the typo. The story has been updated.
Cheers.
kurt
says:What, no Sour Grapes in the comment section that Jetstar/Qantas isn’t flying direct to their favored city? No rant at how sick and tired they all are of having to fly via the Gold coast as like they do with about Sydney every time a new route is announced? Nice to at least have one comment section about a new route to Australia which is free from the subtle and sometimes not so subtle, Sydney disdain and crying foul.
Makes sense that Qantas group chooses to compete in the low coast end ” Jet-Star” of the Korea-Australia travel market, flying from their Low cost Australian Hub of the Gold Coast, which has no other competitors, lower airport fees and is easily accessible to all other major Australian population centers.
Patrick
says:Well said, people just don’t understand the economics behind all those decisions and it doesn’t matter to them if the airlines make money as long as they all fly from their own doorsteps.
Lechuga
says:Melbourne is desperate for flights to Seoul. I think this should’ve been like the Tokyo or Osaka flights where they start in Melbourne and continue through Gold Coast and then on to Seoul. It’s a market that’s just ignored.
Ross
says:It’s a good start, I would have thought a OOL-HNL service would have worked well but GC airport is already way over capacity and security lines are horrendous, for the morning business peak at for 6am departures where 6-7 aircraft leave in first 20min they have 2-3 security lanes open with hundreds waiting to get through, terribly bad organisation, they need more staff on in the mornings
Baxter
says:Would love to see some more Jetstar flights internationally from Perth
Baz Bear
says:Good lay overs for the crew as it’s only 3 times a week.
Craigy
says:Jetstar has been chartering Qantas B744 for their SYD – HNL JQ3/4 for the last few weeks. Is on of the B788 away in heavy maintenance or is the route super popular right now?
Mike
says:@Craigy, you may recall back in late March 2019, as reported here on AustralianAviation, that VH-VKJ had engine problems in both engines on approach to Osaka.
The B787-8 has been on the ground in Japan until 2 May when it flew to Hong Kong. On 6 May it departed for Melbourne as indicated by a flight tracking website. The Dreamliner is inflight as I write and due to land in Melbourne on 7 May.
One would assume the cause of the double engine problem has been identified.
I expect the absence of the B787-8 has resulted in Jetstar needing to charter the Qantas B747 to maintain Honolulu services.
Dean
says:I read somewhere that the Wednesday flights will commence in Melbourne and the Friday and Sunday flights will commence in Sydney and then they will all stop at the Gold Coast before heading off to Seoul-Incheon Can anyone confirm this? I for one refuse to get connecting flights in Sydney because of terrible experiences there transferring from Domestic to International and prefer to get flights to Bangkok, China, Japan or Taiwan and then connect to Korea. At least now there will be one weekly almost “direct” connection from Melbourne to Seoul. We need more.