MLIT awards new Indonesian routes to major airlines

South Korea‘s largest airline, Korean Air Lines, which is finalizing its merger with Asiana Airlines, and its affiliates secured major new routes to Indonesia. T’way Air also secured eight new routes, expanding its reach into Central and South Asia. According to industry sources on Tuesday, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation (MLIT) recently awarded 30 routes to 11 airlines. The most coveted Busan-Bali route was awarded to Air Busan Co. and the Cheongju-Bali route to T‘way Air. The Busan-Jakarta route went to Air Busan while Jin Air Co., Korean Air and Jeju Air secured the Incheon-Batam route. Indonesian routes, which used to be served exclusively from Incheon International Airport, were criticized for being inaccessible to other regions and being expensive due to the concentration of operations by Korean Air and Asiana Airlines. The 2024 allocation to provincial cities outside the metropolitan area is expected to improve the convenience of international flights for regional residents, a change that was welcomed by local airports.<br/>