Panoramic view of Dubai, UAE (Screenshot from Dubai Media Office website)
SEOUL, Nov. 24 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea will gain new regional air links to the United Arab Emirates under a fresh aviation agreement reached on the sidelines of an international transport conference, the government said Sunday, marking a significant expansion of routes between the two countries.
At the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Air Services Negotiation Conference (ICAN) 2025, held last week in the Dominican Republic, South Korea held bilateral talks with 13 countries, including the UAE. According to the transport and foreign ministries, Seoul and Abu Dhabi agreed to create a new set of traffic rights allowing up to four weekly flights from any Korean regional airport to any airport in the UAE.
Until now, air-service rights between the two countries were capped at 21 weekly flights, all operating on the Incheon–Dubai and Incheon–Abu Dhabi routes. The new framework opens the possibility for cities outside Seoul—long underserved in long-haul connectivity—to secure direct flights to the Middle East.
The government said the agreement reflects deepening cooperation with the UAE in construction, energy infrastructure, and other strategic sectors, and responds to rising travel demand as the Gulf state increasingly serves as a transit hub for Europe and Africa. “This paves the way for direct Middle East service from Korea’s regional airports,” the transport ministry said.
Seoul added that it would expedite regulatory approvals for any airline seeking to launch UAE routes from regional airports, noting that expanded local traffic rights remain a key priority for improving mobility outside the capital region.
Separately, South Korea reached an agreement in principle with the Dominican Republic to conclude a bilateral air services accord and initialed the draft text.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
