The South Korean government has announced a new direct route between Busan and Istanbul, set to operate from Gimhae Airport, after successful negotiations with Turkey. This addition fulfills long-standing requests from Busan to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport to establish more international routes from regional airports.
The agreement, finalized at the International Civil Aviation Negotiation (ICAN) forum in Malaysia, allows three weekly flights between Korea’s regional airports and Istanbul. ICAN, an event hosted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), enables aviation agreements among member nations.
Currently, Korea and Turkey each have 11 weekly flights on the Korea-Turkey route, primarily operated by Korean Air, Asiana, and Turkish Airlines on the Incheon-Istanbul route. Due to high demand, with load factors averaging above 85%, the need for expanded service was evident.
Busan City officials expressed optimism regarding the new route, highlighting Turkish Airlines’ interest in expanding operations to Gimhae Airport. The Ministry commented, “With this new agreement, travelers can look forward to direct connections from Busan and other areas to Istanbul, enhancing accessibility and convenience for international travel.”