The Korean government is set to push for the new route as part of expansion plans for the airline, according to reports in Korea.
Last week Korean Air completed a merger with smaller local rival Asiana, creating what is set to be a global top -10 carrier, after the European Commission said it had no antitrust concerns about the huge merger.
“To help Korean Air and Asiana Airlines bolster the competitiveness of their united entity, the government will encourage them to consolidate redundant routes and open new routes to other promising markets in Europe such as Dublin, Ireland and Copenhagen, Denmark,” said a report in the Korea Economic Daily.
The airline has just announced a major $36bn (€30bn) deal with Boeing to buy 103 planes in what is seen by some as an attempt to appease President Donald Trump over tariffs.
Korea has also emerged as a key target for the Irish Government’s bid to open up new export markets, with a trade mission led by Agriculture Minister Martin Heydon in June.
As part of its overall trade diversification push, the Department of Enterprise is set to introduce a new Strategic Air Access Fund to help establish routes into Ireland from key trade locations.
A Department spokeswoman said that for the fund to have an impact, it would need to “start at €8m to €12m”.
“Big progress had been made on US gateways, with 21 direct flights. But Asia-Pacific is now being earmarked for trade diversification, so progress on growing connections in Latin America and Asia is likely to be the key focus,” she said. In a post on LinkedIn in recent days, DAA CEO Kenny Jacobs welcomed the new Strategic Air Access Fund.
He described it as a “smart step forward”, saying that “more direct connectivity to Ireland from key markets in Asia, South America and the US is needed”. “Good to see the focus on strategic air access included in the Government Action Plan on Market Diversification.
“More direct connectivity to Ireland from key markets in Asia, South America and the US is needed, and a new Strategic Air Access Fund is a smart step forward,” he wrote “Airports are enablers of trade, tourism, and investment.
“Dublin Airport already connects to over 190 destinations, and Cork is Ireland’s fastest growing airport. But both can do more. Removing the passenger cap at Dublin Airport will give scope to add more strategic routes and to support the goals of this new plan.
“Looking forward to seeing this fund in action,” Mr Jacobs said.
Asked to comment on the potential for a Korean route, a DAA spokesman said that “while we would love to see further connectivity to the Far East and would readily welcome any new additions to the route network out of Dublin Airport, as a matter of policy, we never comment on speculation.”
Over 120 Enterprise Ireland client companies also export to South Korea, with clients of the state agency increasing their exports from €89m in 2018 to €121m in 2024.
An Enterprise Ireland spokeswoman said the export potential for Irish companies to the Asian country was “increasing across all sectors, with key growth areas being digital technologies, aviation/aerospace, life sciences, education and agri-tech/agri-machinery”.
“Enterprise Ireland clients are mostly working with in-market partners such as distributors or agents.
“The EU-South Korea Free Trade Agreement which has been in effect since 2015, has been very effective in boosting trade between Ireland and the Republic of Korea,” she said.
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