Air Busan, Busan team up to promote new routes and local tourism

Air Busan and the city of Busan will share their respective promotional channels to jointly publicize local tourism and flight route information.

Air Busan announced Wednesday that it signed an MOU with the city of Busan on Tuesday at its headquarters in Gangseo-gu, Busan. Sales Division Head Song Myeong-ik and Busan city spokesperson Oh Mi-gyeong attended the signing ceremony along with other officials from both sides.

At the heart of the agreement is a mutual exchange of online and offline promotional resources. Local festival and tourism information will be shared with Air Busan passengers, while the airline's new routes and flight schedules will be communicated to Busan residents.

Air Busan plans to promote Busan festivals, tourism content and key city policy information through its official YouTube channel, Instagram and other social media platforms, as well as its in-flight magazine.

The city of Busan will use outdoor digital billboards at City Hall and major intersections, as well as digital advertising boards at Busan Station and bus terminals. Those displays will carry information on Air Busan's new destinations, route details and flight services.

"We have forged a meaningful partnership with the city of Busan that allows both organizations to share their infrastructure through public-private cooperation," Song said. "We will use a diverse range of promotional channels to deliver useful information to residents and customers, and continue to expand our mutual synergies."

Meanwhile, Air Busan is also in the process of merging with Jin Air and Air Seoul. The three carriers approved a merger agreement at their respective board meetings last month, and Air Busan is set to be absorbed into Jin Air in March next year, pending shareholder approval and regulatory clearance. Once the merger is complete, Air Busan will cease to exist as a legal entity, but Jin Air will take over its existing routes, aircraft and staff.

How the Busan-based international route network will be maintained and expanded after the integration remains a key concern for the regional aviation industry. Jin Air has said it plans to strengthen route competitiveness centered on Incheon and Busan, and develop new international routes departing from Busan as part of the merger process.