▲ Korean Air airplane
Following a magnitude 7.1 strong earthquake that struck near Uki City in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, yesterday (July 28), flights from South Korea to Kumamoto are operating normally.
According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Aviation Information Portal System today (July 29), Korean carriers including Korean Air, Eastar Jet, and T'way Air operate direct flights from South Korea to Kumamoto.
Korean Air operates the Incheon-Kumamoto route three times a week (Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays), while T'way Air operates the same route daily, seven times a week.
Eastar Jet operates daily flights on the Gimhae-Kumamoto route.
The airlines stated that there are currently no changes to their flight schedules due to the earthquake.
On the day of the earthquake yesterday, one Korean Air flight was canceled, while Eastar Jet and T'way Air completed their scheduled operations.
Kumamoto Airport temporarily closed its runway immediately following the strong earthquake and resumed operations at 7:00 PM yesterday, according to reports.
It was also reported that reservation rates for domestic carriers' Japan routes have not yet seen a meaningful decrease following the earthquake.
An industry official said, "While cancellations are not entirely non-existent, the number is negligible," adding, "There are no changes to route schedules at this time."
However, cautious concerns have been raised that demand for Japan routes could decrease if local instability prolongs.
Japan routes are considered lucrative, high-yield routes relative to their short distance.
At around 4:27 PM yesterday, a magnitude 7.1 strong earthquake struck near Uki City in Kumamoto Prefecture, western Kyushu, Japan, causing consecutive damages such as the partial collapse of a local shopping mall.
South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that no casualties involving South Korean nationals have been reported so far and that it is continuously monitoring the local situation.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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