Japan and South Korea agreed Jan. 30 during their three-day civil aviation talks to add three Japanese airlines to the bilateral aviation market, Transport Ministry officials said.The two governments also agreed to allow airlines of both nations to open new routes between three South Korean cities -- Taegu, Kwangju and Chonju -- and two Japanese cities -- Osaka and Fukuoka. Jiro Hanyu, deputy director general of Transport Ministry's Civil Aviation Bureau, said Japan Asia Airways and Japan TransOcean Air, subsidiaries of Japan Airlines, and All Nippon Airways' subsidiary Air Nippon, will be able to operate between the two nations. Japan hopes those carriers will open services to South Korea from airports outside of Tokyo in the near future, Hanyu said.Local governments, including Akita, Fukushima, Tottori and Shimane, had hoped South Korean airlines would open new routes to their airports, but South Korea only showed interest in increasing flights to Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka. The two governments also will allow joint flights by airlines of the two nations. Japan Airlines is currently negotiating with Korean Air to begin scheduling joint flights, according to JAL.
