Air Busan Co., Ltd., operating as Air Busan (Korean에어부산; Hanja에어釜山) is a low-cost[1] airline based in Busanjin-gu, Busan, South Korea.[2] It is a subsidiary of Asiana Airlines. The airline began its operation in 2007 as Busan International Airlines Company (Korean부산국제항공; Hanja釜山國際航空); it launched service in October 2008.[3]

AIR BUSAN
에어부산
에어釜山
IATA ICAO Call sign
BX ABL AIR BUSAN
Founded31 August 2007; 17 years ago (2007-08-31)
Commenced operations27 October 2008; 16 years ago (2008-10-27)
HubsGimhae International Airport
Fleet size24
Destinations28
Parent companyAsiana Airlines
Traded asKRX: 298690
HeadquartersBeomcheon-dong, Busanjin-gu, Busan, South Korea
Key peopleAhn Byeong-seok (CEO)
Websitewww.airbusan.com

Air Busan is South Korea's third-largest low-cost airline, carrying 4.5 million domestic and 3.6 million international passengers in 2018. Air Busan has grown international passenger traffic by 122% over the past three years, while domestic traffic has grown by 38%.[4]

History

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Busan International Airlines Co., Ltd. was established in August 2007.[5] In February the following year, the corporate name was changed to Air Busan Co., Ltd. and an investment agreement was signed by the city of Busan and Asiana Airlines. In April 2008 the company ordered its first aircraft, five Boeing 737s. Two months later, the company was granted a license for regular air transportation. In October 2008, bases were established at Gimpo airport and Jeju international airport and the airline commenced operations between Busan and Gimpo.

In April 2009, the airline took delivery of its fifth Boeing 737-400 aircraft. By August that year, Air Busan had marked 10,000 flights in the 299 days since it began operations. In September 2009, the number of passengers carried reached 1 million. International services, between Busan and Fukuoka, began in March 2010 and in April the number of passengers carried reached 2 million. In January 2011 Air Busan took delivery of its first Airbus A321-200 aircraft.

In 2018, Air Busan applied for a preliminary screening for an initial public offering.[6]

In 2021, Korean Air's Post Merger Instruction plan for Asiana Airlines was approved by the Korea Development Bank. It includes provisions to merge Air Busan with Korean Air's low cost carrier subsidiary, Jin Air.[7] Air Busan will exclusively use the expanded international terminal at Gimhae International Airport, which will be operational from 26 March 2024.[8]

Destinations

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Air Busan started operations in October 2008, using Gimhae International Airport as a base.[9]

As of April 2024, Air Busan flies (or has flown) to the following destinations:[10]

Country City Airport Notes Refs
Cambodia Siem Reap Siem Reap International Airport Airport Closed [10]
China Changsha Changsha Huanghua International Airport Charter Terminated [11]
Chengdu Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport Terminated [10][12]
Haikou Haikou Meilan International Airport [10][12]
Hohhot Hohhot Baita International Airport Charter Terminated [13]
Hong Kong Hong Kong International Airport [10]
Huangshan Huangshan Tunxi International Airport Charter Terminated [14]
Kunming Kunming Changshui International Airport Charter Terminated [15]
Macau Macau International Airport [10][16]
Ningbo Ningbo Lishe International Airport [10][12]
Qingdao Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport [10]
Qingdao Liuting International Airport Airport closed [10]
Sanya Sanya Phoenix International Airport [10][17]
Shenzhen Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport [10][12]
Shijiazhuang Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport Terminated [18]
Taiyuan Taiyuan Wusu International Airport Charter Terminated [11]
Xi'an Xi'an Xianyang International Airport [10]
Yanji Yanji Chaoyangchuan International Airport [10]
Zhangjiajie Zhangjiajie Hehua International Airport [10]
Zhengzhou Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport Charter Terminated [19]
Guam Hagåtña Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport [20]
Indonesia Denpasar Ngurah Rai International Airport [21]
Japan Fukuoka Fukuoka Airport [10][22]
Kagoshima Kagoshima Airport Charter Terminated [23]
Kitakyushu Kitakyushu Airport [24]
Matsuyama Matsuyama Airport [25]
Nagoya Chubu Centrair International Airport [10][26][27]
Osaka Kansai International Airport [10][27]
Sapporo New Chitose Airport [10][28]
Tokyo Haneda Airport Charter Terminated [29]
Narita International Airport [10][27][30]
Toyama Toyama Airport Charter [31]
Laos Vientiane Wattay International Airport [10][32][33]
Malaysia Kota Kinabalu Kota Kinabalu International Airport [10][34][12]
Mongolia Ulaanbaatar Buyant-Ukhaa International Airport Airport closed [10][32][35]
Chinggis Khaan International Airport [10][35]
Northern Mariana Islands Saipan Saipan International Airport [36]
Philippines Cebu Mactan–Cebu International Airport Terminated [10][12]
Clark Clark International Airport Terminated [10][37]
Kalibo Kalibo International Airport [10]
Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminated [27]
Tagbilaran Bohol–Panglao International Airport [10][38]
Russia Vladivostok Vladivostok International Airport Terminated [39][40]
Singapore Singapore Changi Airport Charter Terminated [41]
South Korea Busan Gimhae International Airport Hub [10][27]
Daegu Daegu International Airport Terminated [10]
Jeju Jeju International Airport [10]
Seoul Gimpo International Airport [10]
Incheon International Airport [10][12][27]
Ulsan Ulsan Airport Terminated [10][42]
Taiwan Kaohsiung Kaohsiung International Airport [10][12]
Taipei Taoyuan International Airport [10]
Thailand Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport [43]
Vietnam Da Nang Da Nang International Airport [10]
Hanoi Noi Bai International Airport [10][44]
Ho Chi Minh City Tan Son Nhat International Airport [10][45][27]
Nha Trang Cam Ranh International Airport [10]

Codeshare agreements

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Air Busan has codeshares with the following airlines (as of May 2014):

Fleet

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Air Busan Airbus A320-200
 
Air Busan Airbus A321-200
 
Former Air Busan Boeing 737-400

Current fleet

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As of April 2024, Air Busan operates an all-Airbus A320 family fleet composed of the following aircraft:[46][47][48][49]

Air Busan fleet
Aircraft In service Orders Passenger Notes
Airbus A320-200 6 180
Airbus A321-200 10 195
220
Airbus A321neo 4 232 [50]
Airbus A321LR 4 220
Total 24

Retired fleet

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Air Busan formerly also operated the following aircraft types:[51][52][53]

Air Busan retired fleet
Aircraft Total Year introduced Year retired Notes
Airbus A320-200 2 2016 2022
Airbus A321-200 7 2011 2023
Boeing 737-400 4 2009 2016 Former Asiana Airlines fleet
Boeing 737-500 3 2008 2016

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "air-busan-bx." CAPA. Retrieved on January 2, 2016. "Air Busan Airline Profile."
  2. ^ "Home." (Korean) Air Busan. Retrieved on November 5, 2012. "통신판매업 신고번호 : 제16–2822 부산시 부산진구 범천동 853–1번지"
  3. ^ "info_person.html." Air Busan. Retrieved on February 14, 2010. "614–020 Beomchen-dong Busanjin-gu Busan, Korea CALL : 051-410-0804,0806."
  4. ^ "South Korea aviation market: a decade of rapid growth driven by LCCs". CAPA. 2 June 2019.
  5. ^ "Air Busan Airline Information". Flightera. 2023-07-21. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  6. ^ "Air Busan files for preliminary screening of IPO". m.theinvestor.co.kr. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  7. ^ "Air Busan Airline Profile | CAPA". centreforaviation.com. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
  8. ^ "에어부산, 김해공항 신축터미널 전용카운터 운영". 파이낸셜뉴스. 2024.
  9. ^ "Air Busan to Enter Budget Air Market". 23 October 2008.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am "Destinations". Air Busan.
  11. ^ a b "Service to Changsha / Taiyuan April – June 2014". routesonline. 10 April 2014.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h "Air Busan W19 International network additions". Routesonline. 1 October 2019.
  13. ^ "Air Busan Adds Busan – Hohhot Charter in June / July 2015". routesonline. 30 April 2015.
  14. ^ "Air Busan to Start Scheduled Charter Service to Tunxi and Xi'An Apr – Jun 2012". routesonline. 11 April 2012.
  15. ^ "Air Busan Adds Busan – Kunming Charter Flights in Aug/Sep 2015". routesonline. 24 June 2015.
  16. ^ 釜山航空從7月19日開通釜山至澳門航線 - 韓聯社(韓國聯合通訊社) (in Korean). Big5.yonhapnews.co.kr:83. 24 May 2012. Archived from the original on 4 November 2013. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
  17. ^ "Air Busan schedules Sanya launch in Dec 2016". routesonline. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  18. ^ "Air Busan to Offer Busan – Shijiazhuang Service April – June 2013". routesonline. 8 March 2013.
  19. ^ "Air Busan Adds Busan – Zhengzhou Charters in April/May 2015". routesonline. 19 February 2015.
  20. ^ "Air Busan to Start Busan - Guam Service from late-July 2015". Airlineroute.net. June 4, 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  21. ^ "AIR BUSAN SCHEDULES BUSAN – DENPASAR LATE-OCT 2024 LAUNCH". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  22. ^ The Korea Herald. "The Korea Herald". Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  23. ^ "Air Busan adds Kagoshima charters in Oct 2017". Airlineroute.net. 20 September 2017.
  24. ^ "Air Busan adds Daegu – Kitakyushu service from Jun 2019". Routesonline. 30 May 2019.
  25. ^ "에어부산, 11월 부산~마쓰야마 노선 정기편 신규 취항" [Air Busan, launching Busan~Matsuyama regular route in November]. Financial News. 16 October 2023.
  26. ^ "Air Busan adds Busan – Nagoya service from June 2018". Airlineroute.net. 29 March 2018.
  27. ^ a b c d e f g "Air Busan adds new routes in April 2020". Routesonline. 25 February 2020.
  28. ^ "Air Busan Adds Sapporo Flights from Dec 2015". Airlineroute.net. 5 October 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
  29. ^ "Air Busan Begins Scheduled Busan – Tokyo Haneda Charter Flight from late-April 2015". Airlineroute.net. 23 March 2015.
  30. ^ "Air Busan adds Seoul – Tokyo service from April 2020". Routesonline. 21 February 2020.
  31. ^ "Air Busan adds Toyama charters in 2Q18". Airlineroute.net. 4 April 2018.
  32. ^ a b "하계 국제선 운항 관련 안내". Air Busan (in Korean). 18 March 2021.
  33. ^ "Air Busan adds scheduled Busan – Vientiane service in W17".
  34. ^ "Air Busan schedules Kota Kinabalu service from May 2019". Routesonline. 2 April 2019.
  35. ^ a b "Air Busan Adds Mongolia Flights from late-June 2016". airlineroute. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  36. ^ "Air Busan opens Busan-Saipan route amid pandemic". The Korea Herald. 24 January 2022.
  37. ^ "에어부산, 2023년 첫 신규취항으로 필리핀 '클락' 선택" [Air Busan chose "Clark" as its first new service in 2023]. Herald Corporation News (in Korean). Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  38. ^ "에어부산, 다음 달 인천발 삿포로·보홀 노선 신규 운항" [Air Busan to operate new Sapporo-Bohol routes from Incheon next month]. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). 9 May 2023.
  39. ^ Liu, Jim (8 August 2018). "Air Busan adds Vladivostok service from August 2018". Routesonline. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  40. ^ "Air Busan launches Incheon-Vladivostok direct flights". The Korea Times. 8 February 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  41. ^ "Air Busan adds Singapore charters". Routesonline. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  42. ^ "에어부산, 2023년 1~3월 울산공항 운항 중단 없던 일로" [Air Busan did not suspend flights at Ulsan Airport from January to March 2023] (in Korean). Gyeongsang News. 21 December 2022.
  43. ^ "Air Busan to Start Flights to Bangkok From Gimhae and Incheon". Haps Magazine. 2022-06-22. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
  44. ^ "Air Busan adds Busan – Hanoi route from late-Oct 2018". Routesonline. 28 January 2020.
  45. ^ "Air Busan adds Busan – Ho Chi Minh City service in late-March 2020". Routesonline. 27 September 2018.
  46. ^ "Introduction of Aircraft". Air Busan.
  47. ^ "Air Busan Fleet Details and History". planespotters.net. 23 August 2018. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
  48. ^ "Global Airline Guide 2019 (Part One)". Airliner World. October 2019: 19.
  49. ^ "항공기 등록현황" [Aircraft Register Status]. Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (in Korean).
  50. ^ "Air Busan to add A321neo aircraft to explore new routes". Yonhap News Agency. 30 October 2019.
  51. ^ "Please verify your request". Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  52. ^ "연도별 도입 현황" [Aircraft Introduction Status by year]. Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (in Korean).
  53. ^ "연도별 말소 현황" [Aircraft Erasure Status by year]. Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (in Korean).
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