Korean Air increases Manila–Incheon flights

MANILA, Philippines — South Korea’s flag carrier is increasing its flight volume between Manila and Incheon to enhance connectivity options and support travel demand along this corridor.

In an advisory, Korean Air said it is launching a fourth daily service between Manila and Incheon starting on Nov. 24 as part of its efforts to expand connections to South Korea.

Korean Air will deploy an Airbus A321neo for the new service, featuring 182 seats, eight in business class and 174 in economy.

Flight KE619 is scheduled to leave Incheon at 9:40 p.m. and arrive in Manila at 1:05 a.m. the next day. Flight KE620 will depart Manila at 2:20 a.m. and arrive in Incheon about five hours later.

Korean Air country manager for the Philippines Byung Kwon Lee, said the new schedule would provide passengers with access to North America via Incheon. The late-night flight aligns with Korean Air’s morning departures to destinations westward.

Korean Air serves US destinations that do not have direct flights from the Philippines, such as Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Las Vegas and Washington.

“As air travel demand continues to grow, we are strengthening our commitment to the Philippine market through continued investment and service expansion,” Lee said.

This route bolsters Korean Air’s position in the Philippines as one of the leading carriers flying between Manila and Incheon, a high-demand corridor.

South Korea remains the largest tourist source for the Philippines, and authorities are working on expanding connections between the two. Nearly 1.2 million South Koreans have visited the Philippines as of September.

In July, the Department of Transportation signed a memorandum of understanding with the government of South Korea to improve travel relations with the Philippines. They agreed to increase the number of seats available between Manila and Incheon to 30,000 per week.

Previously, airlines were allowed to sell a maximum of 20,000 seats per week, but regulators found this restriction too limiting for such a high-volume route.

In a previous interview with The Star, Korean Air corporate communications manager Kenneth Lee said that the airline plans to fly at least 1.7 million passengers between the Philippines and South Korea this year.