Asiana Airlines is making all-out efforts to operate chartered flights based on its years-old know-how in operating overseas routes and global networks in order to overcome the difficult operational situation stemming from the COVID-19.
Officials of global domestic companies with overseas bases, Korean residents and international students are only allowed to leave/enter the country via chartered flights at a time when most countries have closed their borders due to COVID-19.
Asiana Airlines, as a national flag carrier, is making an enterprise-wide effort to get approvals for chartered flights to provide the public's benefit.
A case in point is the arrival of a chartered flight OZ773 carrying Hyundai Mipo Dockyard engineers at Nha Trang Airport on June 23. The number of people on board is 29 engineers from domestic and foreign equipment suppliers to support the trial operation and delivery of ships by Hyundai Vietnam Shipbuilding, the Vietnamese subsidiary of Hyundai Mipo Dockyard.
This is the first time that a foreigner has entered the Nha Trang airport since the COVID-19 incident in March after not allowing foreigners to enter Vietnam. This is the result of various efforts by Asiana Airlines' local branch and Hyundai Vietnam Shipbuilding to obtain special entry permits from the Vietnamese government and the Khanh Hoa Province authorities, where Nha Trang Airport is located.
"It was not easy to enter the airport by chartered plane, but we worked closely with the Korean Consulate General in Vietnam and Hyundai Vietnam Shipbuilding to get approval," said Song Jeong-seop, head of the Nah Trang sales office at Asiana Airlines. "Although it is difficult due to the coronavirus 19, we will continue to make efforts to fulfill our role as a Korean national flag carrier."
In addition, LG Display engineers will be transported to Vietnam (Bundong, Hanoi) and China (Guangzhou) by chartered flights of Asiana Airlines, Kia Motors engineers to Slovakia (Bratislava), and Hyundai Motor engineers to India (Chennai). Asiana Airlines will transport a total of 6,930 people by chartered flights in June alone.
