Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is the first airport in North America to welcome regular service from South Korean airline, T’way Air. The four-times weekly, year round service between Incheon International Airport (ICN) in Seoul and YVR further positions YVR as the preferred North American gateway to Asia-Pacific.
The new T’way service provides the community with even more flexibility and convenience when travelling to South Korea and connections across Asia, but the benefits of this new service go beyond passengers alone. An additional air connection provides increased cargo capacity to further diversify trading markets and get British Columbian and Canadian products to consumers in Asia and around the world. 2024 was a record-breaking year for cargo out of YVR with more than 339,000 tonnes of goods shipped through the airport and South Korea is YVR’s number two air export destination.
“This new service to South Korea is about more than travel convenience—it represents a strategic investment in connectivity, trade, and Canada’s place in the global economy,” said Tamara Vrooman, president and CEO at YVR. “YVR is excited to further expand our ability to connect Canada with the world, to support industry and families, attract investment, and to further build resilience in supply chains.”
Each new international route from YVR results in direct economic benefit, with the flight to Seoul estimated to generate $39.8 million in economic output, $20.8 million in GDP, and 237 full time jobs in the province.
“British Columbia has long had strong ties with South Korea and is home to a large Korean community that continues to make significant contributions to the cultural diversity and prosperity of our province,” said B.C. Premier David Eby. “This affordable direct flight will allow people to stay connected with friends and family across the Pacific and also means that it will be faster and easier to do business with our fourth largest trading partner, strengthening the economic ties between us during a time of global uncertainty.”
