Korean Air, the South Korean carrier, and ITA Airways, the Italian national airline, have signed a codeshare agreement. The new commercial partnership will provide more seamless travel options for customers via the two airlines’ hubs in Rome/ Fiumicino and Seoul/Incheon. Starting from November 21, 2023, Korean Air will apply its “KE” code on 11 Italian destinations in connection with Fiumicino airport (Bologna, Venice, Turin, Trieste, Genoa, Bari, Brindisi, Florence, Catania, Palermo, Naples), and on five international destinations (Madrid, Barcelona, Athens, Cairo, Munich). ITA Airways will apply its “AZ” code on the services operated by Korean Air between Italy (Fiumicino and Milan/Malpensa) and South Korea (Incheon) on two domestic Korean destinations (Pusan and Daegu) and on four Japanese destinations (Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Sapporo). The arrangement with Korean Air is ITA Airways’ 32nd codeshare agreement.
Hainan Airlines is to resume nonstop flights between Chongqing and Paris using a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The inaugural flight was due to depart from Chongqing/Jiangbei at 0230hrs local time on November 28, 2023, touching down at Paris/Charles de Gaulle at 0720hrs local time on the same day. The reinstated flight marks the first restored connection from China’s central and western regions to Paris, further enhancing Hainan Airlines’ European network from Chongqing, which already includes services to Rome and Madrid. The airline also maintains an extensive domestic network from Chongqing, offering flights to major cities such as Beijing, Guangzhou, Haikou, Sanya and Shenzhen.
Asia Pacific airlines recorded a 111% year-on-year increase in the number of international passengers carried in September, to a combined total of 23.7 million, according to the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA). Ticket demand in the month reached 79% compared to 2019. A revival in demand on routes to and from China provided momentum to the travel recovery, AAPA said. Subhas Menon, AAPA director general, said: “During the first nine months of the year, Asian airlines in aggregate carried 194 million international passengers, 212% more than the same period last year. Airlines are facing increasing headwinds, marked by sharply higher fuel costs in recent months. Nevertheless, the region’s carriers are buoyed by the strong recovery of air travel in the region and are looking forward to the growth continuing into 2024.”