South Korea: Airlines prepare for Chuseok spike in demand

The aviation industry is gearing up to cater an increase in travel demand ahead of Chuseok, the Korean thanksgiving holiday that kicks off Friday. Korean Air is operating two more flights from Gimpo to Jeju starting Wednesday until Sept. 13. These flights are operated using larger aircraft to accommodate 11,000 more passengers, which is a 10 percent increase in the airlines number of seats along that route for the Chuseok holiday. Asiana Airlines, the country’s second-biggest carrier, added 5,500 seats more for domestic flights during the same period in response to growing travel demand. More than 70% of these additional seats have already been booked, according to an official from Asiana Airlines. Budget carriers including T'way Air and Jeju Air have also augmented around 6,000 seats more for their domestic flights. In efforts to attract more customers during the peak season, airlines are also providing tickets at a cheaper price.<br/>