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As Korea becomes exempt from requiring visas to visit the U.S. from next Monday, the airline industry will expand routes to America to handle increasing traffic.
Korean Air said on Wednesday they will operate seven weekly flights between Incheon and Washington or San Francisco, up from the current four times a week, starting Dec. 11 and 12, respectively.
The route between Incheon and Las Vegas, which stopped operating on Sep. 2nd due to surging oil prices, will resume on a thrice-weekly basis on Dec. 16. Korean Air is reviewing a plan to run more planes on the route between Incheon and Hawaii, and Incheon and Los Angeles, watchful of how visa exemption affects demand.
From Dec. 16, Asiana Airline will also increase flights between Incheon and Los Angeles to 14 times a week from the current 11, and increase flights between Incheon and Seattle to four weekly from the current three. The airliner estimates its annual revenue will increase by W25 billion.
An industry watcher said that, even though this year saw a decrease in the number of travelers due to surging oil prices, the visa exemption program will stimulate a 30 percent increase in travelers to the U.S.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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