South Korea and Saudi Arabia have agreed to more than double the number of weekly flights between the two countries, the transport ministry here said Wednesday.

In a recent aviation meeting, the two countries agreed to increase the allowed number of direct flights from the current three to seven per week, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

The additional flight permits will soon be distributed to the countries’ flag carriers.

The permits, however, would not necessarily lead to an immediate increase in the number of flights to and from Saudi Arabia, ministry officials said.

Korean Air, South Korea’s largest flag carrier, currently operates three weekly flights to and from the Middle Eastern country, and said it had no immediate plans to expand its services, citing a low occupancy rate on the flights. (Yonhap)