Korean Air announced Thursday (May 7) plans to increase flights in June, citing signs that the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic may be abating, according to the Korean Times.
Korean Air, the flag carrier of South Korea, is scheduled to reopen 19 international routes on June 1. Destinations include Kuala Lumpur, Beijing, Singapore, Washington, D.C., Seattle, Toronto, Vancouver, and Frankfurt, the report said.
The move comes as countries prepare to ease entry restrictions, which is likely to spur international air travel demand, the company said.
Currently, the airline operates 55 flights a week on 13 international routes, down significantly from 900 on 110 routes before the Wuhan virus outbreak. With more flights resumed in June, the carrier will be flying 32 international routes and 146 flights a week.
Hit by the health crisis, Korean Air has asked 70 percent of its 20,000 employees to take paid leave starting Thursday. Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines also plan to increase flights in June, optimistic about government measures to lift entry bans in the weeks to come, wrote Forbes.
As of May 7, South Korea has recorded 10,810 coronavirus cases and 256 deaths. Life in the Northeast Asian nation is gradually returning to normalcy as cases slow to a trickle.
Source：Taiwan News
