This file photo, taken Oct. 20, 2021, shows a FA-50 light attack aircraft flying over Seongnam, south of Seoul. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Nov. 20 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea and Poland will expand the number of weekly flights between the countries to support their strengthening ties in the defense industry and plant construction, the transport ministry said Monday.
Seoul and Warsaw have agreed to increase the number of weekly flights to seven from five on routes from Incheon, just west of Seoul, while generating three flights a week on routes from the southern port city of Busan, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said in a statement.
“The agreement is about the expansion of their traffic rights. Poland currently sends flights to Incheon but Korea has not operated any flights to Poland,” a ministry official said.
Poland’s LOT Polish Airlines has carried passengers to Incheon but Korea’s national flag carrier Korean Air Co. and its smaller rival Asiana Airlines Inc. currently have no flights to Poland, the official added.
The planned expansion of flights is aimed at preparing for a rise in travel demand between the two countries as Korean companies have production facilities in Poland and are likely to export more defense industry products to the country, according to the ministry.
Last year, Korean companies secured major deals worth 17 trillion won (US$13 billion) to supply K2 tanks, K9 self-propelled howitzers, FA-50 light attack aircraft and Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers to Poland.
LG Energy Solution, the country’s leading battery maker, has been operating its EV battery plant in Poland since 2017, and SK Nexilis Co., the world’s largest copper foil maker, is building its plant in the east European country, the statement said.
(Yonhap)
