This route will significantly strengthen the currently missing capacity not only to Korea, but also thanks to connecting flights from Seoul to other destinations in Asia with traditionally strong demand, such as Thailand, Japan, Vietnam, but also Indonesia and Australia. The regular route was last in operation in March 2020. For Jiří Pos, Chairman of the Board of Prague Airport, the restoration of the long-haul connection is one of the highest priorities. „This is an important milestone not only on the road to resuming operations and returning to 2019 numbers, but also in building a network of direct routes to Asia. Korea is among the highest demand markets from the Asia region,“ says Pos.
Prague as Central Europe's flagship cityJeong Soo Park, Korean Air Managing Vice President and Head of Passenger Network, commented: „Prague, which boasts a centuries-old history and rich cultural heritage, is the flagship destination of Korean Air in Central Europe. The resumption of this route gives us the opportunity to pick up where we left off and actively participate in the development of cooperation between the two countries in many different sectors.“
Director of the Czechtourism agency Jan Herget believes in the return of Korean tourists thanks to the direct connection. „In 2019, we recorded 387,000 guest arrivals, a year later, due to the covid-19 pandemic, only 42,000 Koreans arrived, and in 2021, even only eight thousand. Tourists from Asia are key to Czech tourism because of their high creditworthiness. The average daily spend is around CZK 4,000,“ adds Herget.
František Cipro, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Prague City Tourism, says that the connection between Prague and Seoul is the result of coordinated activities of all important players.
Successful line before covid
In 2019, the connection from Prague to Seoul was very successful. In total, over 190,000 passengers travelled between Prague and Seoul in both directions in 2019.
The atmosphere of the South Korean capital can best be absorbed by visiting the five royal palaces of the Joseon Dynasty in the Jongno-gu and Jung-gu districts, namely Deoksugung, Gyeongbokgung, Gyeonghuigung, Changdeokgung and Changgyeonggung. There are also four historic gates in the city, the most famous of which is the southern Namdaemum Gate near the market of the same name. The historic city walls are interesting in their own right.