November
30, 2003
Joongang
Libo, South Korea
Gimpo-Haneda
Flights Commence
Regular
flights linking Seoul's Gimpo Airport and Tokyo's Haneda Airport began running
yesterday, shaving two hours from travel time between the two cities' centers.
Flights between the two airports, which are offered by Korean Air and Asiana
Airlines of Korea and Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways of Japan with one
round trip daily each, cut about one hour from the time required in each of the
cities, bringing total travel time to about four and a half hours.
Gimpo Airport is within Seoul's city limits, 12 kilometers (7 miles) from its
center, compared with Incheon Airport, which is 52 kilometers away from the
center. Haneda Airport is about 44 kilometers closer to Tokyo's center than Narita Airport.
The first flight linking the two airports yesterday morning was sparsely
occupied, with less than half of the 384 available seats filled. The flights
are the only international routes offered at the two airports.
The route will not yet serve as a commuter shuttle path between the two cities,
Korean Air spokesman Lim Yoon-sang said, until more flights are added to make
it possible for passengers to arrive at either airport any time during the day
and board a flight within an hour.
Currently, a traveler departing Seoul on a plane in the morning for business in
Tokyo would be unable to catch a flight back on the same day after 2 p.m.
unless he takes a flight between Incheon Airport and Narita Airport. The commuter shuttle is exactly what Kim Byung-shik, who runs a business applications
provider, Aratel Systems, said he was looking forward to.
