Halifax International Airport Authority (HIAA) announced that Korean Air Cargo will launch weekly Sunday service to Incheon, South Korea on a Boeing 777F aircraft, beginning May 25. The flight will arrive in Halifax at 12:45 a.m. from Toronto and depart for Incheon at 2:50 a.m. It will stop for fuel in Anchorage, Alaska.
The carrier expects to transport a minimum of 40,000 kilograms of live lobster every week, with an estimated $580,000 export value to the province. The service will continue every Sunday until the end of August.
“This is the first direct service to a major Asian hub, Incheon,” says Joyce Carter, HIAA President and CEO. “It’s fast, even with a tech stop for fuel in Anchorage. The total elapsed time from ‘wheels up’ at Halifax to landing in Seoul is less than 14 hours. This is fantastic for fresh seafood and in particular for the ever increasing Asian appetite for live lobster.”
“This type of increased lift capacity directly into Asia is good news for all participants in the live lobster sector from harvesters to live shipping companies,” says Geoff Irvine, Executive Director of the Lobster Council of Canada. “The runway extension at Halifax Stanfield Airport was an important step in allowing this type of aircraft to call on Halifax and we applaud the team at Korean Air Cargo for making the decision to come and hope that live shippers will use the service.”