The Democratic Party of Korea said Monday it would support expanding flights on the Gimpo-Jeju route, which has seen reduced service amid high fuel prices driven by the ongoing Middle East war.
Han Byung-do, the party's acting leader and floor leader, made the announcement at a National Assembly meeting on the Gimpo-Jeju flight seat shortage. "Flights between Gimpo and Jeju are in effect essential public transportation for Jeju residents," Han said.
Han acknowledged the strain on airlines from months of rising oil prices linked to the Middle East conflict, but said carriers must be transparent about why they cut flights. "If there were operational difficulties, airlines must clearly explain why they were unable to fly," he said.
Kim Han-gyu, the party's senior deputy floor leader for policy, told reporters after the meeting that the government would actively urge airlines to minimize flight reductions and push to increase services on the route starting in July.
Kim added that as a medium- to long-term measure, the party would factor operational reliability into airline evaluations — assessing whether carriers adhere to their business plans — and consider penalizing underperforming airlines in future traffic rights allocations.
For Jeju Airport, the party said it would work with relevant ministries from July to encourage more flights by giving domestic routes priority slot assignments — slots being the designated times allocated for aircraft takeoffs, landings and ground movements — and by waiving landing fees for airlines that increase services above last year's levels.
sunpine@heraldcorp.com
