Jeju Air, South Korea’s largest budget carrier, said Tuesday that it will launch flight services to seven Chinese cities starting this month to meet rising passenger demand.

The company, owned by Aekyung Industrial Co., said it will begin irregular services from Incheon International Airport to Qiqihar, Wenzhou and Quanzhou, while flights taking off from Jeju, the company’s main hub of operations, will fly to Guangzhou, Xian and Chengdu.

It said another flight linking Busan, South Korea’s largest port, to Zhengzhou will be opened within the month.

The increase comes as official data showed a rise in Chinese tourists coming to South Korea this year.

The airline that currently operates 14 B737-800 jets has been steadily moving to increase international flight services, with more flights linking South Korea to China planned for May. (Yonhap)