Korea's Jeju Air to launch cargo operations

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — South Korea's biggest low-cost carrier Jeju Air has announced that it will launch cargo operations with a freighter plane in the first half of this year to offset the sharply declined passenger travel demand during the pandemic.

Korean Air Lines and Asiana Airlines, the country's two largest and full-service operators, have already focused on expanding their cargo businesses to compensate revenue losses in the past two years.

Jeju Air also plans to add 50 B737-8 MAX jets to its fleet between 2023 and 2027 to prepare for the post-covid era.

Jeju Air currently operates 39 B737-800NG passenger jets and conducts flights on 10 domestic routes and one flight a week on six international routes to Bangkok, Guam, Saipan, Harbin, Weihai, and Tokyo.