Seoul [South Korea], October 10 : Asiana Airlines Inc. has reignited tensions with South Korea's low-cost carrier after resuming flights on a route from Incheon to Osaka using newly obtained slots, months after surrendering the same route to Jeju Air Co. under Japanese antitrust conditions tied to its planned merger with Korean Air Lines Co., according to a report by Pulse, the English service of Maeil Business Newspaper Korea.
"The flag carrier, which had been required to cede the route to Jeju Air as part of efforts to ease monopoly concerns, has now re-entered the market by securing new airport slots in Osaka, effectively restoring its pre-merger flight schedule," the report said.
The move has triggered a backlash from budget airlines, which accuse Asiana Airlines of undermining the intent of fair competition measures.
Citing industry sources, the report said that on Thursday, Asiana Airlines had given up three daily round-trip slots between Incheon International Airport and Osaka's Kansai International Airport in line with corrective measures ordered by the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC). Jeju Air subsequently obtained those slots through official allocation procedures with the Japanese aviation authorities and is obligated to operate the route for a period of three years.
However, the report noted that Asiana Airlines recently acquired new slots at Kansai and restarted operations at similar times, taking advantage of Japan's open-skies policy, which allows airlines to operate freely once airport slots are available, irrespective of government traffic-right designations.
Jeju Air, which had expected improved profitability from a "golden route," has strongly protested the decision, arguing that the return of a full-service carrier to the same route will intensify competition and squeeze margins.
Asiana Airlines noted that it had "fully complied with the JFTC's corrective measures" and independently secured new slots through legitimate procedures.
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