# Air Busan

Air Busan Co., Ltd., operating as Air Busan (Korean: 에어부산; Hanja: 에어釜山) is a low-cost airline based in Busanjin-gu, Busan, South Korea. It is a subsidiary of Asiana Airlines. The airline began its operation in 2007 as Busan International Airlines Company (Korean: 부산국제항공; Hanja: 釜山國際航空); it launched service in October 2008. Air Busan is South Korea's third-largest low-cost airline, carrying 4.5 million domestic and 3.6 million international passengers in 2018. Air Busan has grown international passenger traffic by 122% over the past three years, while domestic traffic has grown by 38%.

## History

Busan International Airlines Co., Ltd. was established in August 2007. In February the following year, the corporate name was changed to Air Busan Co., Ltd. and an investment agreement was signed by the city of Busan and Asiana Airlines. In April 2008, the company ordered its first aircraft, five Boeing 737s. Two months later, the company was granted a license for regular air transportation. In October 2008, bases were established at Gimpo airport and Jeju international airport and the airline commenced operations between Busan and Gimpo.
In April 2009, the airline took delivery of its fifth Boeing 737-400 aircraft. By August that year, Air Busan had marked 10,000 flights in the 299 days since it began operations. In September 2009, the number of passengers carried reached 1 million. International services, between Busan and Fukuoka, began in March 2010 and in April the number of passengers carried reached 2 million. In January 2011 Air Busan took delivery of its first Airbus A321-200 aircraft.
In 2018, Air Busan applied for a preliminary screening for an initial public offering.
In 2021, Korean Air's Post Merger Instruction plan for Asiana Airlines was approved by the Korea Development Bank. It includes provisions to merge Air Busan with Korean Air's low cost carrier subsidiary, Jin Air.
Air Busan will exclusively use the expanded international terminal at Gimhae International Airport, which will be operational from 26 March 2024.
As a result of merger with Korean Air, the airline, as well as parent company Air Seoul will be integrated with Jin Air, Korean Air's subsidiary.

## Destinations

Air Busan started operations in October 2008, using Gimhae International Airport as a base.
As of December 2024, Air Busan flies (or has flown) to the following destinations:
| Country | City | Airport | Notes |
| Cambodia | Siem Reap | Siem Reap International Airport | Airport Closed |
| China | Changsha | Changsha Huanghua International Airport $^{Charter}$ | Terminated |
| China | Chengdu | Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport | Terminated |
| China | Haikou | Haikou Meilan International Airport | |
| China | Hohhot | Hohhot Baita International Airport $^{Charter}$ | Terminated |
| China | Hong Kong | Hong Kong International Airport | |
| China | Huangshan | Huangshan Tunxi International Airport $^{Charter}$ | Terminated |
| China | Kunming | Kunming Changshui International Airport $^{Charter}$ | Terminated |
| China | Macau | Macau International Airport | |
| China | Ningbo | Ningbo Lishe International Airport | |
| China | Qingdao | Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport | |
| China | Qingdao | Qingdao Liuting International Airport | Airport Closed |
| China | Sanya | Sanya Phoenix International Airport | |
| China | Shenzhen | Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport | |
| China | Shijiazhuang | Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport | Terminated |
| China | Taiyuan | Taiyuan Wusu International Airport $^{Charter}$ | Terminated |
| China | Xi'an | Xi'an Xianyang International Airport | |
| China | Yanji | Yanji Chaoyangchuan International Airport | |
| China | Zhangjiajie | Zhangjiajie Hehua International Airport | |
| China | Zhengzhou | Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport $^{Charter}$ | Terminated |
| Guam | Hagåtña | Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport | |
| Indonesia | Denpasar | Ngurah Rai International Airport | |
| Japan | Fukuoka | Fukuoka Airport | |
| Japan | Kagoshima | Kagoshima Airport $^{Charter}$ | Terminated |
| Japan | Kitakyushu | Kitakyushu Airport | |
| Japan | Matsuyama | Matsuyama Airport | |
| Japan | Nagoya | Chubu Centrair International Airport | Terminated |
| Japan | Osaka | Kansai International Airport | |
| Japan | Sapporo | New Chitose Airport | |
| Japan | Tokyo | Haneda Airport $^{Charter}$ | Terminated |
| Japan | Tokyo | Narita International Airport | |
| Japan | Toyama | Toyama Airport $^{Charter}$ | |
| Laos | Vientiane | Wattay International Airport | |
| Malaysia | Kota Kinabalu | Kota Kinabalu International Airport | |
| Mongolia | Ulaanbaatar | Buyant-Ukhaa International Airport | Airport closed |
| Mongolia | Ulaanbaatar | Chinggis Khaan International Airport | |
| Northern Mariana Islands | Saipan | Saipan International Airport | |
| Philippines | Cebu | Mactan–Cebu International Airport | Resumes 30 March 2025 |
| Philippines | Clark | Clark International Airport | Terminated |
| Philippines | Kalibo | Kalibo International Airport | |
| Philippines | Manila | Ninoy Aquino International Airport | Terminated |
| Philippines | Tagbilaran | Bohol–Panglao International Airport | |
| Russia | Vladivostok | Vladivostok International Airport | Terminated |
| Singapore | Singapore | Changi Airport $^{Charter}$ | Terminated |
| South Korea | Busan | Gimhae International Airport | Hub |
| South Korea | Daegu | Daegu International Airport | Terminated |
| South Korea | Jeju | Jeju International Airport | |
| South Korea | Seoul | Gimpo International Airport | |
| South Korea | Seoul | Incheon International Airport | |
| South Korea | Ulsan | Ulsan Airport | Terminated |
| Taiwan | Kaohsiung | Kaohsiung International Airport | |
| Taiwan | Taipei | Taoyuan International Airport | |
| Thailand | Bangkok | Suvarnabhumi Airport | |
| Vietnam | Da Nang | Da Nang International Airport | |
| Vietnam | Hanoi | Noi Bai International Airport | |
| Vietnam | Ho Chi Minh City | Tan Son Nhat International Airport | |
| Vietnam | Nha Trang | Cam Ranh International Airport | |

### Codeshare agreements

Air Busan has codeshares with the following airlines (as of May 2014):
* All Nippon Airways
* Asiana Airlines

## Fleet
### Current fleet

As of January 2025, Air Busan operates an all-Airbus A320 family fleet composed of the following aircraft:
Air Busan fleet :
| Aircraft | In service | Orders | Passenger |
| Airbus A320-200 | 5 | — | 180 |
| Airbus A321-200 | 7 | — | 195 |
| Airbus A321-200 | 7 | — | 220 |
| Airbus A321neo | 4 | — | 232 |
| Airbus A321LR | 4 | — | 220 |
| Total | 20 | — | |

### Retired fleet

Air Busan formerly also operated the following aircraft types:
Air Busan retired fleet :
| Aircraft | Total | Year introduced | Year retired | Notes |
| Airbus A320-200 | 3 | 2016 | 2024 | |
| Airbus A321-200 | 11 | 2011 | 2024 | |
| Boeing 737-400 | 4 | 2009 | 2016 | Former Asiana Airlines fleet |
| Boeing 737-500 | 3 | 2008 | 2016 | Former Asiana Airlines fleet |

## Accidents and incidents

* On 28 January 2025, Air Busan Flight 391, an Airbus A321-200 registered as HL7763, caught fire before takeoff at Gimhae International Airport, South Korea, bound for Hong Kong, resulting in seven injuries and the evacuation of all 176 people on board, also being the airline's first hull loss.