Vienna Airport and Korean Air Cargo celebrate 20 years of cargo service connecting Seoul and Vienna

20 years ago – in April 2004 – a Korean Air Cargo freighter landed in the Austrian capital for the first time. This marked the beginning of a partnership in the cargo and passenger sector that continues to this day and is also being expanded. This anniversary was celebrated yesterday evening, June 11, 2024, at an Austro-Korean gala evening at the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna with Jaedong Eum, Head of Cargo Business Division at Korean Air Cargo, Myung Kyu Park, MVP Cargo Sales Department at Korean Air Cargo, Sangwook Ham, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Austria, and Julian Jäger, joint CEO and COO of Vienna Airport, as well as over 100 guests from business, aviation and tourism.

"Korean Air Cargo and Vienna Airport are linked by two decades of good cooperation. The partnership shows how Europe and Asia cooperate successfully. Vienna's geographical location and excellent infrastructure make the airport an important hub in Korean Air Cargo's route network. Together we want to further expand our high-quality standards and position Vienna as the leading European cargo airport. We thank Korean Air Cargo for their continued commitment and look forward to a successful future," said Julian Jäger, joint CEO and COO of Vienna Airport.

“During the past 20 years, Vienna Airport has not only evolved into the main gateway for Korean businesses entering Eastern Europe, but also into a key hub connecting Asia with Eastern Europe. Our Vienna cargo operation started off with a once-a-week service and has now grown to more than one flight a day. This remarkable growth would not have been possible without the dedicated and proactive partnership shown by Vienna Airport. We look forward to further strengthening the cooperation between the two companies in the future,” said Jaedong Eum, Head of Korean Air Cargo business division.

“Given Vienna’s strategic location and connectivity within Europe, it is fitting that Korean Air Cargo and Vienna Airport have nurtured such a strong partnership. Korean Air and Vienna Airport have bolstered economic cooperation and people-to-people exchange between Korea and Austria. I hope this cooperation will be further enhanced,“ said Ambassador Sangwook Ham, Embassy of the Republic of Korea.

In order to further increase air cargo traffic between Seoul and Vienna, Korean Air Cargo and Vienna Airport wanted to launch joint marketing initiatives targeted at forwarders and customers, amongst other measures. In February of this year, the companies signed the corresponding agreement designed to expand their cooperation. Within this context, the partners will also exchange industry expertise as the basis for offering optimal services.

Austrian-Korean gala evening event featuring more than 120 guests from business, aviation and tourism

Within the context of an exclusive evening event held yesterday, 11 June 2024, the 20th anniversary of Korean Air Cargo’s presence at Vienna Airport and the many years of good collaboration was celebrated together with more than 120 guests from business, aviation and tourism. Among the guests were Jaedong Eum, Head of Cargo Business Division at Korean Air Cargo, Myung Kyu Park, MVP of Cargo Sales Department at Korean Air Cargo, Sangwook Ham, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea in Austria and Julian Jäger, joint CEO and COO of Vienna Airport, as well as Dr Sabine Haag, Director of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Dukho Lee, Chairman of the Association of the Korean Community in Vienna and Peter Malanik, President of the Austrian Aviation Association. The moderator Barbara Fleißner skillfully guided the audience through the evening. The Vienna Philharmonic ensured an enjoyable evening of musical entertainment.

20 years of an air cargo connection between Vienna and Seoul

Korean Air Cargo has been operating cargo flights from and to Vienna since 2004, currently around ten times per week. In doing so, Korean Air Cargo has been deploying a mix of various aircraft i.e., the Boeing-747-400F, Boeing 747-8F and Boeing 777F. As a result, it links production and sales markets in Austria and the entire CEE region with more than 110 global destinations via Incheon Airport in Seoul, the largest airport in South Korea. Thanks to its ideal geographical location and excellent handling infrastructure, Vienna Airport is an important cargo hub in the Korean Air Cargo route network. In particular, the airline leverages Vienna Airport as a transshipment point for automobile production in Central and Eastern Europe. Similarly, electronic and pharmaceutical products comprise a significant percentage of the cargo tonnage.