TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Direct flights between Hualien and Incheon International Airport are reportedly set to be suspended at the end of July.
Hualien previously had direct flights to Incheon and Busan in 2019, according to the county government, per CNA. However, the routes were suspended in February 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last May, the Hualien County Government signed a memorandum of understanding with Aero K to relaunch direct flights to South Korea, CNA reported.
Hualien County Tourism Director Yu Ming-hsun (余明勲) said the move is not a permanent cancellation, but an operational decision by partner airline Aero K in response to changing business conditions, Storm Media reported.
Yu said global fuel prices and aviation costs have surged amid the US-Iran conflict, according to Storm Media. After an internal review, Aero K decided to close its Incheon operations base and consolidate its core operations in Cheongju, he said.
As for when flights could resume, Yu said the route-rights review process will take about three months, meaning services could restart as early as late October. However, when flights resume, the destination will shift from Incheon to Cheongju.
