SEOUL, April 26 (Xinhua) -- South Korea and China have agreed to launch direct flight services between Gimpo International Airport and Beijing International Airport starting in July this year, the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs in Seoul said Tuesday.
The two countries signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to allow their airlines to provide direct flights between Gimpo International Airport, located in the southwestern tip of Seoul, and Beijing International Airport starting in July, the ministry said in a press release.
Currently, travelers can only fly to Beijing from Incheon International Airport, about 52 kilometers west of Seoul.
The ministry said the new flight services from Gimpo are expected to offer passengers considerable convenience in terms of saving time and economic costs, thanks to the airport's proximity to downtown Seoul.
The MOU came after the two countries agreed in principle to set up the Gimpo-Beijing route in January 2009. Under the MOU, two airlines from each country will offer four daily flights on the new route starting in July, the ministry said.
The ministry also said the new flight services would help attract more Chinese tourists to South Korea. In 2010, South Korea welcomed some 1.88 million Chinese tourists, up 40 percent from the year before.