A promotional image for Jeju Air’s flight service to Mongolia (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Feb. 23 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea and Mongolia are currently holding bilateral aviation talks to discuss a potential increase in flights between the two countries, according to industry sources Friday.
The two-day talks between the officials of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and their Mongolian aviation counterparts began in Seoul on Thursday. The outcome is expected to be announced later in the day.
The two sides are known to be mainly discussing the additional allocation of air traffic rights between the two countries.
Currently, eight South Korean airlines, including industry leader Korean Air Co., hold traffic rights for flights to and from Chinggis Khaan International Airport in Ulaanbaatar. Chinggis Khaan Airport is Mongolia’s only international airport.
Industry watchers are keeping tabs on whether more flights would be allocated to low-cost carriers through the talks amid a surge in travelers between the two countries.
According to government data, the number of passengers between the two countries has recently increased significantly, from around 41,000 in 2021 to approximately 318,000 in 2022 and later to 653,000 last year.
(Yonhap)
