Korean Air launches flights to Vietnam’s 'Pearl Island'

Korean Air on Sunday launched its inaugural flight to Vietnam’s Phu Quoc island, a popular leisure destination for beachgoers, nature lovers and families.

The carrier will serve the route daily with its Airbus A330-300 fleet, configured in a two-class layout of 284 seats – 24 in Prestige Class and 260 in economy.

Phu Quoc, dubbed “Pearl Island”, is Korean Air’s fifth destination in Vietnam after Danang, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Nha Trang.

The daily service departs Seoul Incheon at 3:45 p.m. and lands at Phu Quoc at 7:50 p.m. The return flight departs Phu Quoc at 9:20 p.m. and arrives at Seoul Incheon the following day at 4:50 a.m.

Travelers from Vietnam may also transit at Terminal 2 on Korean Air’s extensive network, for example, to 13 destinations in North America and nine destinations in Japan.

Vietnam is a hugely popular destination for South Korean travelers. The Korean market has consistently accounted for the largest proportion of Vietnam’s international arrivals. There were 2.91 million Korean arrivals to Vietnam in the first 10 months of 2023, according to Vietnamese government data.

Vietnam ranked second on a list of the five most popular destinations for South Koreans thanks to easy flight connections and warm weather, according to statistics provided by the immigration agency of South Korea’s Ministry of Justice.

Phu Quoc is Vietnam's largest island and a designated UNESCO biosphere reserve. The island is home to pristine white beaches and lush evergreen forests. From marine activities to the allure of the national park and family-friendly resorts, the island is a year-round haven for sunseekers, with November signaling the beginning of the dry season, the best time to visit it.

Korean Air is one of the world's top 20 airlines, carrying more than 27 million passengers per year pre-Covid 2019. With its global hub at Incheon International Airport, the airline serves 120 cities in 43 countries on five continents with a fleet of 156 aircraft.