Tourists arriving on Jeju Island from Shanghai, China, on March 26 receive souvenirs as gifts at Jeju International Airport. 

By Margareth Theresia

Photos = Jeju Tourism Organization 

Direct flights connecting Jeju Island and China have been resumed. 

The Jeju Tourism Organization (JTO) on March 26 said direct flights between Korea's top tourism island and Greater China, a region comprising China, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, were restarted after being suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

On the morning of the same day, a Spring Airlines flight with 112 passengers departed from Shanghai Pudong International Airport and arrived at Jeju International Airport at 10:20 a.m. 

Halted in February 2020 due to the pandemic, the Jeju-Shanghai route was resumed after a three-year hiatus.  

To mark the occasion, the JTO and Jeju Special Self-Governing Province jointly hosted a welcoming ceremony for passengers at the international arrival section of the Jeju airport. 

Spring Airlines runs two daily Shanghai-Jeju flights seven times a week. 

Korea's Jin Air on March 16 also resumed service between the island and Xian, China. 

Hong Kong Express Airways on March 30 will launch a route connecting the Chinese city with Jeju. 

China Eastern Airlines on April 6 will resume its Jeju-Shanghai flight and Juneyao Airlines will do the same for its Jeju-Nanjing route from April 23. 

To mark the resumption of flights between Jeju Island and Shanghai, China, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province and Jeju Tourism Organization on March 26 jointly host a welcoming ceremony at the international arrival section of Jeju International Airport.

margareth@korea.kr