JAL Group to start Japan - Korea charter flights

The JAL Group today announced plans to start a daily charter service between Tokyo's Haneda Airport and Seoul's Kimpo Airport.

This flight will be part of a new air link between the two capitals. Current scheduled flights between the two cities use Tokyo's Narita Airport and Incheon Airport. On October 24, the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced that charter services would be permitted from November 30.

Four airlines - two Japanese, two Korean - will each have one daily round trip flight. Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways will operate from Japan; Koreanair and Asiana will operate from Korea.

The JAL Group said it sees the new flights, which will cater to inclusive tour (IT) travelers, as a new business chance that will help to develop closer ties between Japan and Korea.

JAL plans to use 232-seat Boeing 767-300 aircraft for the charter flights.

Flight schedules have yet to be allocated but JAL said it expects to operate a morning departure from Haneda with a return flight from Kimpo in the afternoon.