1. Government delegations from the Republic of Korea and Portugal, after talks on air services on May 19 and 20, agreed on and initialed the text of their new agreement for air services, which calls for expanding traffic rights of the two countries as well as code-sharing arrangements among airlines.

2. The agreement is expected to help Korean airlines further broaden their networks in Europe and allow travelers to Portugal to schedule their trips more conveniently.

3. Despite the surging demand of Northeast Asian countries, including the ROK, China and Japan, for flights to South Europe amid the growing interest in the region of late, there have so far been no direct flights to Portugal. Direct flights between the ROK and Portugal, when launched, are expected to help the ROK dominate the market and enjoy the effect of drawing transfer passengers to Incheon International Airport.


* unofficial translation