Air travelers from Shanghai to downtown Seoul can expect to see their journey time cut by nearly half, with four new daily flights launched yesterday from Hongqiao Airport.

The first flight left Shanghai for Kimpo Airport in South Korea's capital about 3:30pm yesterday. Because Kimpo is located about 12 kilometers from downtown Seoul, it will save people about two hours' driving time from Incheon Airport, which is 52 kilometers from the capital.

Hongqiao immigration police said yesterday that there will be four flights a day in each direction.

The flights are offered jointly by China Eastern Airlines and Shanghai Airlines.

Seventy-four passengers boarded the first flight to Kimpo from Hongqiao yesterday. Authorities estimated the service could carry nearly 1,000 passengers a day.

The Hongqiao-Kimpo flight was the second international flight launched by the airport.

The first was between Hongqiao and Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Japan, which launched its services late last month.

Pudong International Airport is Shanghai's major air terminal for overseas flights, while Hongqiao is used for mostly domestic flights.

The three cities of Shanghai, Tokyo and Seoul each has two airports. Hongqiao Airport, Haneda Airport and Kimpo Airport are all located closer to their downtown areas, compared with the larger international airports.

(Shanghai Daily October 30, 2007)