Korean T'Way Air lands in Rome: low-cost flights to Seoul. Why Korean-Asiana is behind it.
Raise your hand if you know T'Way Air. And no, the apostrophe is not a typo -- this is a low-cost airline [...]
Korean Air
Asiana Airlines
SkyTeam
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South Korea
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Raise your hand if you know T'Way Air. And no, the apostrophe is not a typo -- it is a company low-cost South Korean founded in 2010 and known almost only in East Asia, where it operates connections between Seoul and several countries in that area with a fleet of Airbus A330-200s and A330-300s on medium to long haul and Boeing 737-800s and MAX 8s on short haul.
Why do we talk about it? Because T'Way Air has entered the risky business of contractingi which a few weeks ago resulted in the European Union giving the green light to the Merger between Korea's two largest carriers: Korean Air and Asiana.
In practice, in order to get to the wedding, the two companies had to meet the demands of the Competition Authority of several countries, including the EU, somewhat like they are trying to do Lufthansa and ITA Airways to get the go-ahead for the Germans to join the Italian company.
In the case of T'Way Air, as compensation for the creation of the Korean/Asiana conglomerate (which will be the tenth largest airline in the world), the low-cost airline obtained that Korean leases 5 A330-200s to it, also providing 100 pilots and technical/operational support. As well as slots in Incheon and long-haul traffic rights..
As a result of this, the so far anonymous T'Way will also land in Europe in the coming weeks. Or, at least, it already has, connecting since last May 16 Seoul to Zagreb with a technical stopover at Bishek in Kyrgyzstan, one of the most absurd routes ever heard of (who will ever fly between the two cities?).
The other four routes, however, are far less absurd and should offer a low-cost alternative to the routes already offered by Korean and Asiana. They are. Paris, Frankfurt, Barcelona and, what interests us most, Rome.
Flights from Incheon to Fiumicino will start from Aug. 8, with three weekly frequencies on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Flight TW407 will take off from Korea at 11:05 a.m. to land in Rome at 6:50 p.m., while TW408 will take off at 8:50 p.m. to arrive in Seoul at 4:10 p.m. the following day. Connections will be made with A330-200 equipped with service cabins: an 18-seat Business and a 228-seat Economy.
As of today, both Korean Air and Asiana fly between Rome and Seoul.. The 'flag carrier' operates daily with a Boeing 777-300ER two-class, Business Prestige and Economy, while Asiana flies a Boeing 777-200ER always two-classes (Business and Economy).
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