Jost Lammers (left) and Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó
Asiana Airlines will launch direct charter flights between Budapest and Seoul Incheon Airport during the peak period of the summer season.
Thanks to a joint effort by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Hungarian National Tourism Office and Budapest Airport, the flight will initially operate weekly, although experts believe demand could prove much greater.
The large Boeing 777 aircraft will operate between the Hungarian and South Korean capitals. The number of Korean tourists visiting Hungary has tripled over the past five years and exceeded 100,000 in 2015. The number of aerial passengers arriving from the Asian nation grew 10% last year. These statistics confirm that there is demand for a direct flight between the two countries.
Economic ties are also strong between the two. Several large Korean companies are located in Hungary and play an important role in the processing industry. Among others, electronic giant Samsung and tyre manufacturer Hankook have invested more than USD 2 billion in Hungary over the past years, and employ more than 10,000 people in the country.
Budapest Airport CEO Jost Lammers said: “We have worked extremely hard alongside the Foreign Ministry and the Hungarian National Tourism Office to secure this exciting new charter flight with Asiana Airlines. The launch of Air China’s service to Beijing last year saw the first point in Asia to be served directly from Budapest since 2012, and the confirmation of Asiana’s link to Korea reinforces the huge need for further connections to the east.
“I firmly believe that this announcement is the first step in securing further capacity to Korea in the coming seasons.”
