Air Seoul

Air Seoul (Korean: 에어서울; RR: E-eo Seoul) is a South Korean low-cost carrier and a subsidiary of Asiana Airlines. The airline is based at Incheon International Airport in Seoul, from which it operates flights to international destinations. It launched operations on 11 July 2016.

Air Seoul
에어서울
IATA ICAO Callsign
RS ASV AIR SEOUL
FoundedApril 7, 2015 (2015-04-07)
Commenced operationsJuly 11, 2016
HubsIncheon International Airport
Fleet size6
Destinations20
Parent companyAsiana Airlines (100%)
Headquarters176, Haneul-gil, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
Key peopleCho Jin-man, CEO
Employees482
Websiteflyairseoul.com
Air Seoul
Hangul
Revised RomanizationEeo seoul
McCune–ReischauerEŏ sŏul

History

Since early 2014, Asiana Airlines had considered launching a second low-cost carrier (LCC) in addition to Air Busan. It initially faced difficulties in proceeding with the project because of the Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crash in July 2013.[1] Asiana has only a minority 46% stake in Air Busan, while it has a controlling stake in Air Seoul.[2] Air Busan is based in Busan, which has allowed other LCCs such as Jin Air and Jeju Air to fill the Seoul market; Air Seoul is based in Seoul.[3] The goals of Air Seoul are to strengthen Asiana's competition with other South Korean LCCs and to improve Asiana's performance in certain markets, such as secondary Japanese cities.[1][3]

The airline was established on 7 April 2015. In June 2016, Air Seoul operated trial flights within South Korea.[4] On 5 July 2016, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced it had granted Air Seoul its air operator's certificate. Flights between Seoul–Gimpo and Jeju commenced on 11 July.[5][6] The airline started flights to Japan in October 2016, its first international routes[7] and has since moved to become a purely international airline.

In 2018, it carried 1.7 million passengers in 2018, up by 109% from 2017.[8]

On 16 December 2019, Air Seoul launched a Hanoi – Seoul route. The airline has confirmed that Tam Vuong had become an official representative of Air Seoul in Vietnam[9][10]

Corporate affairs

Air Seoul is a fully owned subsidiary of Asiana Airlines.[11] Its headquarters are located in the Kumho Asiana Main Tower in Seoul, and its Chief Executive Officer is Cho Jin-man.[12]

On 1 January 2018, Air Seoul inaugurated its new Chief Executive Officer,[12][13] formerly Ryu Kwang-hee.[14]

On 1 January 2021, Air Seoul appointed its new Chief Executive Officer prior to Asiana Airlines acquisition,[12][15] replacing Cho Kyu-yung.

Destinations

As of November 2020, Air Seoul flies the following destinations:[16]

Since the COVID-19 pandemic declared in January 2020, Air Seoul suspends most of international routes. As of November 2020, Air Seoul operate limited international routes.[17]

Air Seoul Destinations
Country City Airport Notes Refs
CambodiaSiem ReapSiem Reap International Airport[17][18]
ChinaHong KongHong Kong International AirportSuspended[17][19]
LinyiLinyi Qiyang AirportSuspended Indefinitely[20][21]
MacauMacau International AirportTerminated[18][22]
YantaiYantai Penglai International Airport[23]
ZhangjiajieZhangjiajie Hehua International AirportSuspended Indefinitely[24][21]
GuamHagåtñaAntonio B. Won Pat International AirportSuspended[17][19]
JapanFukuokaFukuoka AirportSuspended[17][25]
HiroshimaHiroshima AirportTerminated[18][26]
KumamotoKumamoto AirportSuspended[17][27][28]
NagasakiNagasaki Airport[18]
NahaNaha AirportTerminated[29][30]
OsakaKansai International Airport[17][19]
SapporoNew Chitose Airport[31]
ShizuokaShizuoka AirportTerminated[18][32]
TakamatsuTakamatsu Airport[17][18]
TokyoNarita International AirportSuspended[17][19]
ToyamaToyama AirportTerminated[28][33]
UbeYamaguchi Ube AirportTerminated[28][33]
YonagoMiho–Yonago Airport[18]
MalaysiaKota KinabaluKota Kinabalu International AirportSuspended[17][18]
PhilippinesKaliboKalibo International AirportSuspended[17][34]
South KoreaBusanGimhae International Airport[35]
CheongjuCheongju International Airport[36]
JejuJeju International Airport[37][38]
SeoulGimpo International Airport[37][38]
Incheon International AirportHub[37]
VietnamDa NangDa Nang International AirportSuspended[17][31]
HanoiNoi Bai International AirportSuspended[17][39]
Nha TrangCam Ranh International AirportSuspended[17][39]

Fleet
Air Seoul Airbus A321 at Seoul's Incheon airport
Air Seoul Airbus A321 parked at Siem Reap, Cambodia

As of December 2020, Air Seoul operates the following aircraft:[40][41]

Air Seoul Fleet
Aircraft In Service Orders Passengers Notes
P M E Total
Airbus A321-200 6 — — 30 165 195 HL8266 (1 of 7 fleets) has been returned

to lessor in December 2020.[42]

— 30 190 220
Total 6 —

Services

On 7 November 2016, Air Seoul announced that it had collaborated with Naver WEBTOON to produce a safety video. Some of the works featured in this video include Denma, The Sound of Heart, and Noblesse.[43]

Air Seoul began offering an in-flight magazine entitled Your Seoul to passengers in January 2017. The magazine advertises the tourist attractions in the airline's hub city, Seoul.[44]

On 21 March 2019, Air Seoul with collaboration of Naver WEBTOON's LICO introduced a new in-flight safety video. Air Seoul is the first Korean airline to produce an in-flight safety video based on 3D animation created using LICO's character Hwang-goo.[45]

On 7 October 2019, Air Seoul launches in-flight entertainment service named Cinema in the Sky.[46][47]

See also

References
  1. "Asiana Airlines' new Seoul-based LCC subsidiary will be closely coordinated with its parent". CAPA Centre for Aviation. 23 January 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  2. Kim, Rahn (7 January 2015). "Asiana will set up another budget airline". The Korea Times. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  3. "Asiana Airlines Part 1: Air Seoul approval received. Asiana has a window to regain LCC initiative". CAPA Centre for Aviation. 12 January 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  4. "Profile on Air Seoul". CAPA Centre for Aviation. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  5. "Air Seoul receives its AOC". CAPA Centre for Aviation. 6 July 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  6. Yoon, Ja-young (5 July 2016). "Air Seoul to start operation next week". The Korea Times. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  7. "Air Seoul launches international flights". Anna.aero. 10 October 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  8. "South Korea aviation market: a decade of rapid growth driven by LCCs". CAPA. 2 June 2019.
  9. "Tam Vuong officially become representative of Air Seoul in Vietnam". VietAIR. Retrieved 2019-11-22.
  10. "Thông tin về hãng hàng không Air Seoul năm 2020". VietAIR (in Vietnamese). Retrieved 2019-11-22.
  11. Kim, Jung-hwan (15 July 2016). "Korea's new Air Seoul to provide international flight in Oct". Pulse by Maeil Business Newspaper. Archived from the original on 22 December 2017. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  12. "History". Air Seoul. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  13. Park, Gyeong-hun (28 February 2018). [Who Is ?] 조규영 에어서울 대표이사. Business Post (in Korean). Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  14. "Message from the CEO". Air Seoul. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  15. Yim, Hyun-su (December 31, 2020). "Asiana Airlines appoints new CEO in executive reshuffle". The Korean Herald. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
  16. "Air Seoul Introduction". Air Seoul. 14 February 2019.
  17. "Announcement of Non-operation routes". Air Seoul. 17 November 2020.
  18. "Air Seoul files preliminary international schedule from 16Q4". Routesonline. 25 July 2016.
  19. "Air Seoul planned new routes in Sep/Oct 2017". Routesonline. 26 June 2017.
  20. Liu, Jim. "Air Seoul adds Linyi service from Nov 2019". Routesonline. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  21. "에어서울, 모든 중국노선 운항 잠정중단…"신종코로나 확산우려"" (in Korean). Yonhap News Agency. 28 January 2020.
  22. "Air Seoul ends Macau service in late-March 2018". Routesonline. 20 March 2018.
  23. "Air Seoul resumes Seoul – Yantai service from mid-August 2020". Routesonline. 18 August 2020.
  24. 에어서울, 장자제 직항편 개설..."장자제 직항편 LCC 중 처음" (in Korean). Financial News. 4 October 2019.
  25. "Air Seoul adds Fukuoka service from late-Aug 2018". Routesonline. 2 August 2018.
  26. https://www.routesonline.com/news/38/airlineroute/287809/air-seoul-discontinues-hiroshima-service-from-dec-2019/
  27. "Air Seoul schedules Kumamoto service from April 2017". Routesonline. 17 February 2017.
  28. 에어서울, 日 5개 노선 축소…"추가 조정 검토 중". Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 13 August 2019.
  29. "Air Seoul plans Okinawa launch in Sep 1018". Routesonline. 2 August 2018.
  30. Liu, Jim. "Air Seoul Sep/Oct 2019 Japan service changes". Routesonline. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
  31. "Air Seoul schedules new routes in S18". Routesonline. 18 April 2018.
  32. https://centreforaviation.com/news/air-seoul-to-suspend-seoul-shizuoka-service-on-30-sep-2019-937052
  33. "Air Seoul flies schedule for additional Japan service in W16". Routesonline. 17 August 2016.
  34. "Air Seoul adds Kalibo service from Dec 2017". Routesonline. 26 October 2017.
  35. "Air Seoul adds Seoul Gimpo – Busan service from late-August 2020". Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). 29 July 2020.
  36. "에어서울, 다음 달 청주∼제주 신규 취항…"첫 지방 출발 노선"". Routesonline. 11 September 2020.
  37. "Air Seoul Begins Operation from July 2016". Routesonline. 7 July 2016.
  38. 에어서울, 일본발 악재에 ‘국내선’ 유턴 (in Korean). 30 August 2019.
  39. 에어서울, 동계 시즌부터 국내선 사업 진출···"日 노선 대폭 축소" (in Korean). 28 August 2019.
  40. "Global Airline Guide 2019 (Part One)". Airliner World. October 2019: 19.
  41. "Aircraft Guidance". Air Seoul. 14 February 2019.
  42. "Air Seoul HL8266 (Airbus A321 - MSN 5350) | Airfleets aviation". www.airfleets.net. Retrieved 2021-01-09.
  43. 에어서울, '웹툰 캐릭터 등장' 기내 안전영상 제작 (in Korean). Money Today. 7 November 2016.
  44. Won, Ho-jung (12 January 2017). "Air Seoul launches in-flight magazine 'Your Seoul'". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
  45. "에어서울, 국내항공사 최초 '3D 애니 안전영상' 제작". 뉴스핌 (in Korean). 2019-03-19. Retrieved 2021-01-09.
  46. "AIR SEOUL". flyairseoul.com (in Korean). Retrieved 2021-01-09.
  47. "Air Seoul launches inflight entertainment service in mid-haul routes". The Dong-A Ilbo. 8 October 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
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