Ahead of the National Day holiday on September 29, Jin Air added one daily flight on the Qingdao–Seoul route. With this expansion, the Qingdao–Seoul service now operates 20 daily flights at Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport, ranking first nationwide in cumulative flight volume.
By the end of September, year-to-date passenger traffic on the airport’s South Korea routes posted a year-on-year increase of over 14%, with an average load factor of 86%, sustaining robust passenger volumes. Starting October 27, Qingdao Airlines will resume its Qingdao–Jeju service. Together with exclusive Shandong-operated routes to Busan, Daegu and Cheongju, plus further planned capacity increases for Seoul flights, the airport will offer up to 25 daily flights to South Korea in the 2026 IATA Winter Schedule (subject to official airline websites), hitting an all-time high. The expanded network connects Qingdao directly to core economic zones and consumer markets across South Korea, consolidating the airport’s role as a pivotal gateway hub for China-South Korea exchanges.
Recent capacity additions on Qingdao–Seoul focus on afternoon and evening departures, creating a better balanced schedule covering morning, midday and evening slots. For the 2026 winter flight season, the route will offer a maximum of 22 daily flights (subject to official airline websites). During peak periods, four flights will depart for Seoul every hour, and wide-body aircraft will be deployed to elevate travel comfort.
Whether for weekend getaways such as “fly from Qingdao right after work on Friday”, business trips or transfer journeys via Qingdao, passengers can benefit from high-frequency, bus-like air services.
Meanwhile, Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport continues to streamline international transfer connections. Leveraging the 24-hour visa-free transit with immigration inspection exemption and the 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit Policy, it has built a through-ticketing network linking 42 domestic cities with 12 international destinations in Northeast Asia, and opened multiple transfer itineraries from Southeast Asia via Qingdao to Japan and the Republic of Korea.
By the end of September 2026, the volume of round-trip passengers transferring through Qingdao to South Korea rose more than 30% year-on-year, accounting for nearly 20% of the airport’s total transfer passengers.
Catering to passenger demands, the airport keeps launching air-travel integration benefits covering dining, accommodation, transport, sightseeing and shopping. For international transfer passengers, it provides complimentary overnight stays at Hotel A2, free seafood tasting, plus a choice of one experience among Olympic Sailing Cruise, Qingdao Underwater World and "Dream of the Sea" Performance. An airport scenic shuttle bus has been put in service for direct transfers from the airport to tourist sites. For inbound visitors, the "EasyFly Qingdao • Free TV Tower Visit" campaign is available, alongside the inclusive service packages of "EasyCheck-in Qingdao, EasyStay Qingdao and EasyTransfer Qingdao". Under these packages, passengers without checked baggage may board 15 minutes prior to departure; a designated concourse operates round the clock; and the whole transfer process has been accelerated. From January to August 2026, inbound foreign passengers at Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport reached 438,000, a year-on-year rise of 34.4%. South Korean nationals formed the largest inbound group, with over 280,000 arrivals, up 20% year-on-year.
Dense route networks, diversified travel perks and streamlined immigration and transfer experience have made Qingdao the top pick for South Korean travellers for convenient cross-border trips, while offering better options for Chinese passengers flying to South Korea or transferring onward globally via Qingdao.
Editor: Zhou Jianliang/ Wang Yulin
