Korean Air Expands to Budapest in October

DALLAS – In a press release issued today, Korean Air (KE) announced that it will add Budapest (BUD) to its route network later this year.

The airline also announced that on October 1, it will reintroduce routes to Dubai (DXB) and Chang Mai (CNX), which were both cancelled due to the pandemic. The initial offering to DXB will be three times per week on Airbus 330 aircraft, and the initial offering to CNX will be four times per week on Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

The link to Budapest supplements the cargo service that KE began in February 2020, and the new passenger route will initially operate once per week beginning on October 3rd. Beginning October 31st, KE will offer twice-weekly flights from Seoul Incheon at 12:25 p.m. on Mondays and Saturdays, arriving in Budapest at 5:15 p.m. The return flights will depart at 7:35 p.m. on the same day and arrive in Seoul Incheon at 2:15 p.m. the following day.

The airline commented that Budapest, the capital of Hungary and UNESCO World Heritage Site, was a major tourist attraction, mentioning landmarks such as the Fisherman's Bastion, Buda Castle, and the Hungarian Parliament Building.

"Not only is there high travel demand for tourists, but also for businesses," added the airline. "The Hungarian government’s investment policy in the car manufacturing industry has attracted many Korean companies to Hungary, bringing much business-related travel demand."

Following the rapid relaxation of travel restrictions for inbound travel into South Korea, the national carrier has made rapid progress in reactivating many routes that had become dormant during the demand slump.

Featured image: Korean Air HL8082 787-9 ICN. Photo: Christian Winter/Airways