Asiana Airlines' new Seoul-Milan Malpensa is "a route with great potential."
Daily services to South Korea
Asiana Airlines’ A350 is now operating on the route between Seoul and Milan Malpensa with three weekly flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays which, combined with Korean Air’s four flights, make for a daily service to South Korea.
Italy is a very attractive destination for Koreans
“We see great potential in this new route and it complements the route already operating from Rome,- said the airline’s vice-president, Jong Man Park, who attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony in Malpensa. -Italy is a very attractive destination for Koreans and Milan is a perfect combination from both a leisure and business perspective, with numerous trade fairs throughout the year. And whilst Rome has become very hot in summer, as have some of our other destinations such as Barcelona or Istanbul, and we see Milan is a valid alternative, and from there our passengers can also reach Austria and Switzerland.”
Malpensa has a portfolio of carriers of the highest calibre
"Italian passengers flying to Seoul “can choose from the numerous destinations in the Asiana network to Japan, Australia and, more generally, East Asia. We therefore expect a high number of Italian passengers to continue their journeys. Malpensa is among the top four European airports in terms of direct destinations served in Asia. There are huge volumes of traffic from Seoul to Italy and, increasingly, to Milan, but it is also very interesting to note that South Korea has become increasingly attractive to Italians in recent years for both cultural and economic reasons, so there is significant growth in both directions,- said Aldo Schmid, head of aviation business development, Sea Aeroporti di Milano.
Eight 5-star Skytrax airlines operate at Malpensa
"Asiana is one of the world’s most prestigious airlines, ranking among the ten that boast a 5-star Skytrax rating, and of these, eight operate at Malpensa, confirming a portfolio of carriers of the highest calibre. Over the last 12 months, some 120,000 passengers have travelled between Seoul and Milan a figure that rises to 1,500,000 when considering Malpensa’s wider catchment area, representing a 13% increase over the previous 12 months. A growing market, with an excellent balance between sales in Italy and those in Korea."
Concerns for Middle Eastern skies
Park makes no secret of his concerns regarding the ongoing stalemate in the skies over the Middle East due to the conflict in Iran. “The impact has been felt since the start of the war: the price of oil, and therefore of aviation fuel, has risen, and we will feel the effects from April and May onwards. We can only hope that the situation in the Middle East calms down."
"The fuel surcharge will certainly become a burden for travellers"
"Also affecting us is the fact that Middle Eastern carriers that used to carry many passengers between Asia and Europe are no longer operating. So we are seeing a shift in demand towards us. I notice, for example, passengers who used to fly from Manila in the Philippines, to London via Dubai, but are now moving towards Incheon. Manila, Incheon, London. In March, ticket prices rose significantly and the load factor was quite good. But now in April the introduction of the fuel surcharge will be felt. With the rise in oil prices, the fuel surcharge will increase and will certainly become a burden for travellers, with a consequent negative impact on us."
The surcharges could rise further in May
The surge in fuel surcharges among Korean airlines is more pronounced than that seen among carriers in other countries, mainly due to Korea’s heavy reliance on Middle Eastern crude oil. And, in any case, the surcharge does not fully offset the rise in oil prices, so if the current trend “were to continue, the surcharges would rise further in May and, if the crisis were to drag on, the situation would become even more worrying.”
