Thai AirAsia X (TAAX) will reintroduce a second daily service on its Bangkok-Incheon route to accommodate demand in the coming high season.
The long-haul low-cost carrier will offer the additional daily flight from Oct 30 to March 25 of next year.
TAAX first introduced a second daily Bangkok-Incheon flight in October of last year, but the service was suspended in March after demand was lower than expected.
That is in sharp contrast with TAAX's services to Japan -- two daily flights to Narita and one to Osaka -- which see robust demand year-round, thanks to Thais' love affair with Japan and the country's visa-waiver programme.
TAAX is further capitalising on a decision made last year by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of South Korea to ease restrictions on new flights operated by Thai-registered carriers to its airports.
South Korea began curbing extra flights by Thai-registered airlines in late March last year, shortly after the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) expressed "significant safety concerns" over Thai aviation, prompting it to issue a red flag.
TAAX chief executive Nadda Buranasiri yesterday said the second daily flight would meet demand among Thai people wishing to visit South Korea during the autumn and winter seasons.
In the first half of the year, more than 248,000 Thai people travelled to South Korea, up 13.8% year-on-year, according to the Korea Tourism Organization's Bangkok office.
The growth underscores South Korea as one of the most popular destinations for Thai travellers, especially due to the success of K-Pop and K-Dramas among Thai youths, which have spurred more of them to visit the country, said Lee Woong, the office's director.