SEOUL, Korea, 2012-11-16 — /travelprnews.com/ — Korean Air held a ceremony on 9 November to celebrate the inauguration of its new service between Seoul/Incheon and the Saudi Arabian cities of Riyadh and Jeddah. The event was held at Incheon International Airport in the presence of the President and COO of Korean Air, Chang Hoon Chi and the consul of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah Alshammari.
The Seoul/Incheon-Riyadh-Jeddah route will be operated with an Airbus 330-200, seating 218 passengers and equipped with Korean Air’s premium seats.
The Seoul/Incheon-Riyadh-Jeddah flights operate on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. KE961 departs at 21:55 and will arrive in Riyadh at 03:10 the next day. The flight continues its journey departing from Riyadh at 04:20, arriving Jeddah at 06:15. On the return KE962 departs from Jeddah at 11:00 and arrives in Riyadh at 12:35. The flight departs from Riyadh at 13:55 and arrives Seoul/Incheon at 05:00 next day. (From 3 Dec 2012 to 2 March 2013, the flight temporarily departs at 21:30 from Seoul/Incheon, arriving Riyadh at 03:10 next day.)
During the ceremony, Chang Hoon Chi, the President and COO of Korean Air, said, “It is a great pleasure to announce that Korean Air has restarted its service to Saudi Arabia; In the 1970s and 1980s, the time known as the ‘Middle East Boom’ years many Korean companies enjoyed excellent commercial links with Saudi Arabia. I believe by restarting Korean Air’s service to Saudi Arabia we will contribute to a growing exchange between the two countries and the airline will play the role of ‘messenger’ – introducing Korean Culture to the Middle East.”
Saudi Arabia, one of the major Middle Eastern countries, possessing one-fourth of the world’s oil reserves, is Korea’s 4th largest trade partner after China, the United States of America and Japan. Riyadh, the Saudi Arabian capital, is the largest city in the country. Jeddah is situated on the Red Sea coast and is an important commercial hub and home to the Kingdom’s largest port. Jeddah is also the principal gateway to Mecca, Islam’s holiest city.
Korean Air’s resumption of the service to Saudi Arabia is timely and meaningful in light of the fact that this year celebrates the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and the 80th anniversary of the foundation of the Saudi state by King Abdulaziz Al-Saud.
The direct service will offer greater convenience to passengers travelling between the countries, who had to travel via other cities, such as Dubai, in the past. Working in partnership with Saudi Arabian Airlines, which is a new member of the airline alliance SkyTeam, will assist Korean Air to expand its network across the Middle East region. Korean Air, as always, provides an extensive global network with a wide range of options, delivering true “Excellence in Flight” to its passengers..
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Korean Air Celebrates The Launch of Its Service To Saudi Arabia