BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — In another sign that international travel is bouncing back at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, Delta Air Lines announced it will restore daily service to Seoul by the end of October.
Delta already restarted operating nonstop flights from MSP to the Seoul-Incheon International Airport (ICN) on Oct. 2 on a thrice-weekly basis. The Atlanta-based airline said it will offer daily service to ICN beginning on Oct. 29.
Once Delta has returned to its daily routes to ICN, it means the airline has fully restored its Korea service to pre-pandemic 2019 levels.
Delta pointed to the strong demand in Asian markets, as well as South Korea rolling back COVID-era restrictions for its decision to restart the service.
On Wednesday, MSP Airport and Delta celebrated the return of the nonstop route to Seoul at the gate ahead of the 2:25 p.m. departure flight.
“As travel restrictions ease, international and business travel is expected to drive the next leg of Delta’s recovery,” said Matteo Curcio, Delta’s vice president - Asia Pacific, in a statement.
Delta's MSP-ICN route will continue to operate on its Airbus A350-900 plane, which accommodates over 300 passengers and offers four different experiences: Delta One Suites, Delta Premium Select, Delta Comfort+ and Main Cabin.
The ICN flight is the longest international route from MSP at more than 6,200 miles and a flight duration of over 12 hours.
“As we come off of a busy summer travel season, we are delighted to welcome back this important route,” said Brian Ryks, CEO and executive director of the Metropolitan Airports Commission in a statement. “We are grateful for our partnership with Delta and their commitment to restore MSP’s critical direct link to South Korea, which will also open travel connections across Asia.”
The Delta-Korean Air joint venture was launched in 2018 and offers connections to over 80 destinations in Asia and 13 U.S. gateways.
Delta has worked to restore its nonstop international flight services this year. The airline restored its route to London back in April.
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