Shandong Airlines has increased the frequency of its Qingdao-Seoul route as the aviation industry enters the summer-autumn season to expand its Seoul Express service from 12 to 14 daily round trips, providing more travel options between Qingdao and South Korea. Thanks to a public transport-style of flight network and China's visa-free policy for South Korean travelers, the number of inbound South Korean passengers at Qingdao Airport continues to rise. Qingdao recorded over 78,000 inbound South Korean travelers from January 1 to March 31 this year, marking a 45% year-on-year increase.
As a key gateway to Japan and South Korea, Qingdao Airport is currently managing 33 daily flights to and from South Korea. These flights are operated by multiple airlines, including Shandong Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Qingdao Airlines, Air Busan, and Korean Air, with the Qingdao-Seoul route alone accounting for 29 daily flights. In contrast, the Qingdao-Busan route has 4 daily flights, and the Qingdao-Jeju route operates twice weekly. This makes the Seoul Express service the one with the highest flight frequency among all domestic airports.
South Korea's Jin Air will also resume its Qingdao-Seoul route on May 30 to operate 2 daily round-trip flights. Air Seoul too plans to launch a new daily direct flight between Qingdao and Cheongju in May to fill a gap in air connectivity to South Korea's central region. With these additions, the total number of daily round-trip flights between Qingdao and South Korea will increase to 39, covering flight schedules from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. for comprehensive travel convenience.
The introduction of China's visa-free policy for South Korean travelers has sparked the trend of flying to China right after work on Friday has gained popularity among young South Koreans where many of them visit Qingdao as a weekend getaway destination for sightseeing and food. South Korea's OBS Gyeongin TV's recent feature of Qingdao Tourism Group's nighttime cruise along Fushan Bay also reignited a new wave of South Korean tourists visiting the city. The Fushan Bay night cruise has since become a signature attraction for Qingdao in the South Korean tourism market.
With the peak travel season now in full swing, online travel agency (OTA) data shows that one-way tickets from Qingdao to Seoul are available for as low as 400 yuan (including taxes), making air travel as affordable as high-speed rail. Cross-border travel between Qingdao and South Korea is expected to remain strong as the Qingming Festival holiday approaches.
Qingdao Airport has launched seamless transit flights connecting nine domestic cities, including Chongqing, Wuhan, and Xiamen, with Seoul, with single-ticket service with direct baggage transfer services to create an efficient hub linking China with Japan and South Korea. The upcoming Qing Yi Fei Yue Transit (meaning, Fly Easy To Qingdao: Enjoy Seamless and Convenient Transfers) service will also see the introduction of discounts on air-rail combined tickets and other transit benefits to offer travelers a more cost-effective and convenient experience when transiting through Qingdao.
