Air Seoul launches outdoor ad campaign at 5 Han River ferry stops to boost Japan routes

Air Seoul announced Monday it is rolling out an outdoor advertising campaign at five Han River ferry stops in Seoul to boost travel demand to smaller Japanese cities and promote bilateral exchange between the two countries.

Following screen-door ads at major subway stations — Hapjeong and Euljiro 1-ga Station — in July, the airline began running the campaign Thursday on rooftop LED displays at five Han River ferry stops: Yeouido, Jamsil, Jamwon, Mangwon and Ttukseom. The campaign runs for one month.

The videos feature tourist attractions and natural scenery representative of each destination — including Ritsurin Garden and Konpira Shrine in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture, and Mount Daisen and the Tottori Sand Dunes near Yonago, Tottori Prefecture — highlighting the distinctive appeal of smaller Japanese cities that sets them apart from major urban centers.

Through the campaign, Air Seoul plans to work closely with the Japan National Tourism Organization to promote its key small-city routes — Incheon-Takamatsu and Incheon-Yonago — and lead efforts to expand people-to-people exchange between the two countries.

The Incheon-Takamatsu route launched in October 2016 as the first service by a South Korean low-cost carrier on that corridor, starting with three flights a week. It later expanded to five weekly flights within the same month and now operates daily, cementing its status as one of Air Seoul's most profitable routes and a cornerstone of a decade-long partnership with Kagawa Prefecture.

The Incheon-Yonago route, an Air Seoul exclusive, also launched in October 2016 as the first South Korean low-cost carrier to serve that destination, beginning with three weekly flights. Since resuming operations in 2023, it has maintained an average load factor of more than 83 percent. Ridership growth drove the airline to expand to five weekly flights and then to daily service during the 2025 winter season, further strengthening the flow of people and goods between the two regions.

Air Seoul held a ceremony at Takamatsu Airport in Japan on Oct. 8 to mark the 10th anniversary of its Incheon-Takamatsu route.