Asiana Airlines allowed to use Arctic route from this week

SEOUL, Dec. 9 (Yonhap) -- Asiana Airlines Inc., South Korea's No. 2 carrier, will be allowed to use the Arctic route for passenger planes returning home from the U.S. cities of New York and Chicago, a move that is expected to reduce overall travel time and fuel costs, government officials said Wednesday.

According to the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs, use of the
Arctic route, which will start from Thursday, is part of a deal reached between
South Korea and Russia in May under which both sides agreed to increase the
number of passages through the route by passenger airplanes from 30 to 60 times a
week.
The route runs from the eastern United States through the northeastern area of
Russia before reaching South Korea's main gateway of Incheon International
Airport on the country's west coast, the ministry said.
Use of the route is expected to reduce travel time by 30 minutes and curtail fuel
costs by an annual 1.3 billion won (US$1.1 million) compared with the Kamchatka
route which runs through the Pacific Ocean.
Asiana Airlines will become the 12th airline company to use the Arctic route for
its passenger planes, the ministry said.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
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