TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – South Korean budget airline Aero K will launch two flights per week between Hualien and Incheon International Airport next month, reports said Friday.

The resumption of flights between the two airports after a five-year hiatus will start on Nov. 13, per CNA. Hualien County Government signed a memorandum of understanding with Aero K Airlines in May.

The company will operate the flights on Thursday and Sunday. The planes will leave Incheon at 11:50 a.m. and start the return flight from Hualien at 2:45 p.m., with flying time estimated at two hours and 40 minutes.

Each flight will carry 180 passengers, with a return ticket costing between NT$5,000 (US$162) and NT$9,000. The new service will help residents save money and time to travel overseas, while bringing more visitors from South Korea to the region, Hualien County Government said.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic ended the service in 2020, direct flights between South Korea and Hualien registered an occupancy rate of 80%. Tourism in the east coast countys suffered grave blows after the April 2024 earthquake and last month’s barrier lake overflow.