A Korean Air Boeing 787-9 aircraft [Korean Air]
A Korean Air Boeing 787-9 aircraft [Korean Air]

Korean Air announced Wednesday that it will launch service on the Incheon–Melbourne route from Dec. 18 through March 14 next year.

The new route was established to meet peak Australia travel season demand and consistently growing passenger traffic. Korean Air plans to operate three flights per week — on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays — during the period to improve travel convenience for customers.

The route will be operated by a Boeing 787-9 aircraft. Outbound flights will depart Incheon International Airport at 8 a.m. and arrive at Melbourne Airport at 8:30 p.m. local time. The return flight departs Melbourne Airport at 10 p.m. the same day and arrives at Incheon International Airport at 7:35 a.m. the following day.

Melbourne is one of Australia's largest metropolitan areas, home to about 5.3 million people, with cultural, artistic, culinary, business, sports and education infrastructure. As tourism and exchanges between South Korea and Australia have consistently expanded in recent years, travel demand to Melbourne has continued to grow.

Korean Air said it plans to further strengthen its competitiveness on Oceania routes through the new Melbourne service.

"We will continue to closely analyze customer demand, respond flexibly to market changes, and expand route supply in ways that enhance customer convenience and network competitiveness," a Korean Air spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, Korean Air has also been rapidly expanding its presence in the military advanced air mobility sector, recently partnering with US electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft company Archer Aviation to pursue military AAM projects.


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