Ministry of Land,Infrastructure and Transport

□There will be more flight options to France, a country of fashion and romance

□The MOLIT (Minister Kim Hyun-mee) announced that it has agreed to increase flights between the two countries by 2.5 units* (up to 2 times a week after the 2020 winter season) through the aviation meeting between Korea and France held for two days from March 7.

* Currently 28 units → 30.5 units from the 2020 winter season(7-8 Korean Air flights a week, 5 Asiana Air flights, 7-10 Air France flights)

ㅇThe agreement resulting from the aviation meeting was a follow-up from the Korea-France summit held in October of last year and it gained even more significance as it is judged to be a visible outcome from the summit diplomacy between the two nations.

□Incheon-Paris flights recorded over 85% annual average occupancy and so economy class seats were almost fully booked all year round. In particular, occupancy during the high seasons such as the summer exceeded 90% making it very difficult to purchase plane tickets.


□Accordingly, the Korean government included the increase of flights between Incheon and Paris as a summit meeting agenda and worked hard by continuously suggesting to hold aviation meetings to France.

ㅇHowever, France maintained a skeptical attitude due to concerns of transportation imbalance and Korean airline companies encroaching the Korea-France aviation market. In result, over half of the aviation meetings held since 2000 fell through (5 out 9 negotiations broke down).

□But with this meeting, it has become possible to increase the number of flights between the two nations and it is therefore expected that purchasing plane tickets and flying between Incheon and Paris will become more convenient as it is expected to lower the excessively high booking rate.

□ A spokesperson from the MOLIT said, “It will become much more convenient for our citizens who are planning to travel to France in the future through the recent aviation meeting results, and it is also expected that it will contribute to the increased exchange of people and materials between the two countries.”