Sanya-Seoul charter flight service officially launched
At 11:50 p.m. on 14th November, the first flight of Sanya-Seoul charter flight service landed at Sanya Phoenix International Airport with 132 Korean passengers on board.
The twice-a-week charter flight from Seoul to Sanya is jointly operated by TW Airlines and Korean Hotel & Air Company and supported by the Hainan government and tourism department.
The opening of the Seoul-Sanya charter flights are expected to bring 15,000 Korean tourists to Hainan every year, and the Hotel & Air Company may increase the flights in the near future.
South Korea has been an important source market for Hainan tourism. However, the number of tourists visiting has dropped significantly since the 2008 financial crisis. 12,199 South Korean tourists visited Sanya during January to August this year, declined by 45.25% compared to the same period of last year.
The flight takes off from Sanya at 00:50 and arrives in Seoul at 05:30, and takes off from Seoul 20:30 on every Wednesday and Saturday. The whole journey takes 4.5 hours.