The Asian nation of South Korea recorded a 48.4% increase in international visitors (of which approximately 1.34 million were Americans) in the past year.
Multiple airlines are now evaluating their global networks to determine how they could increase service to the home of K-pop, many modern technologies, and stunning natural landscapes.
Budget airline Parata Air, based in Yangyang International Airport (YNY) in the southeast of the country, has sought U.S. DoT permission to launch a new flight to the airport from LAX on a 174-passenger Airbus A330-200.
The airline, which launched in 2019 with short flights within South Korea and to nearby Asian countries like Japan and Vietnam, is eying the U.S. market in what chief executive Yoon Chul-min classified as an effort to “transcend the boundaries of full-service and low-cost carriers.”
Air Premia launches new direct flight between Washington Dulles and Seoul
While Parata Air waits for regulatory approval to launch the flight, fellow South Korean competitor Air Premia confirmed that it will launch a new flight to Dulles International Airport (IAD) from Seoul Incheon International (ICN) in April 2026, according to AirlineGeeks.
Starting operations in 2021, Air Premia currently runs flights to Honolulu, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Newark in the U.S., along with four other countries in Asia. The Washington Dulles route is thus an important expansion to the more faraway East Coast.
The last time Air Premia added a new U.S. destination was the Newark route in 2023.
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The flight will run four times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner with room for 320 passengers. It will launch for the first time on April 24 and expand on the market of direct service to the city — currently, Korean airlines Korean Air and Asiana also offer direct flights between the two cities.
South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport published numbers showing that 175,273 passengers flew on this route in 2024, TTR Weekly reported.
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“Significant milestone in Air Premia’s expansion across North America”
“The launch of our Washington service marks a significant milestone in Air Premia’s expansion across North America,” Air Premia CEO Myungsub Yoo said in a media statement.
“By connecting Seoul with Washington, the political and economic hub of the United States, we aim to offer optimized service for both business and leisure travelers.”
Jack Potter, who heads the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, also released a statement saying the new route should generate at least $50 million for the local economy.
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The flight will depart Incheon Airport at 10:05 a.m. Seoul time and arrive in Washington, D.C., just under 14 hours later at 10:50 a.m. local time. On the way back to Seoul, the flight will depart Washington at 1:20 p.m. and arrive at 5:45 p.m. the following day.
Tickets have been available for booking on the Air Premia website since December 15. Prices start at approximately $650 USD in one direction for flights departing in the middle of the week and increase for weekend or last-minute departures.
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Please make a free appointment with TheStreet’s Travel Agent Partner, Postcard Travel, or email Amy Post at amypost@postcardtravelplanning.com or call or text her at 386-383-2472.
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