LONDON – In great news for Brisbanites and for Queensland’s tourism industry, Korean Air will recommence its Brisbane five times a week, to cater to the outbound tourism traffic from Korea.
It is estimated that tourists from Korea will add more than $120 million dollars annually into the Queensland state economy.
The relaunching of the route will add an additional 89,000 inbound seats each year and will contribute to 1,230 direct and indirect jobs in the Australian eastern state of Queensland.
Korean Air plans to restart its Brisbane operations in April under the latest deal signed under the state government policy of Queensland’s Attracting Aviation Investment Fund.
Ryan Both, Executive General Manager of Aviation at Brisbane Airport Cooperation spoke optimistically about the return of the South Korean flag carrier:
“This is great news for Queensland. South Korea is our third-largest trading market and a major technology partner in Queensland’s new energy economy.”
“We have one of Australia’s largest Korean communities who will now have a direct connection with families. And South Korean tourists and students love coming to Queensland.”
“This year will mark 30 years since Korean Air first started flying to Brisbane. Flights were of course halted due to the pandemic. It will be great to have them back permanently.”
With the presence of Korean Air at Brisbane Airport, the airport will surely benefit from passenger inflow and cargo movements, as the airline is one of the largest cargo carriers.
This is good news for exporters in Queensland exporting their goods to South Korea, and presumably Asia and the world.
Queensland’s Attracting Aviation Investment Fund (AAIF)
The fund is a war chest worth $200 funded by the government of Queensland and the state’s four international gateways of Brisbane Airport, Gold Coast Airport, Sunshine Coast Airport, and Cairns Airport.
The fund has attracted more than 1.1 million inbound seats and more than $960 million in overnight visitor spending since launching exactly a year ago. This has created and supported 8,945 jobs!
Moreover, every extra flight from Brisbane Airport generates up to 20 tonnes of outbound cargo capacity, which allows Queensland’s businesses to export their goods competitively. This is why Korean Air’s restart means a lot to the airport.
Korean Air – the icing on the cake
The AAIF has been set up exactly a year ago and has seen significant progress in luring airlines back to Queensland. In fact, the relaunching of Korean Air is an additional boost to the group’s portfolio.
EVA Air will commence its four-flight-per-week service between Taipei and Brisbane and also explore possibilities to increase its frequencies.
The airline plans to send its latest flagship, the 787-10 to Brisbane. Philippines Airlines have also started flying five flights per week from Manila to Brisbane with the ultra-efficient A321NEO aircraft.
AAIF has certainly aided Brisbane Airports to grow after covid. The relaunching of Korean Air sends a clear signal that the growth momentum will soon reach its full potential.
