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Last year, over 4.3 million South Koreans visited Vietnam, making Koreans the second-largest group of international visitors. About 556,000 of them picked Phu Quoc—a rise of 18% from the year before—and Korean arrivals in January–February jumped 33% year‑over‑year, roughly double the pace seen in 2024.
Booking.com searches from Korea for Phu Quoc surged 71% between last October and mid‑January, landing the island among the five most‑searched destinations. And an operator that dominates Phu Quoc’s tourism scene has now opened a direct flight. Sun Group, which controls a huge chunk of the island’s resorts and attractions, is launching direct service to Korea through its carrier, Sun Phu Quoc Airlines (SPA).
Sun Phu Quoc Airlines, a Sun Group subsidiary, hosted an official GSA launch and route briefing on March 25 at the Westin Chosun Seoul. About 100 travel‑agency reps attended, and the airline confirmed it will begin selling nonstop Incheon–Phu Quoc flights starting April 17.
The logic behind Sun Group’s move into aviation is simple: its tourism ecosystem already includes hotels, resorts, theme parks and even an airport—the only missing link was an airline.
“Aviation was the final piece of the puzzle in the integrated travel ecosystem Sun Group calls its ‘ecosystem,’” said Im Chang‑hyun, PAA’s head of sales. Leveraging the group’s experience with private jets (Sun Air), Sun Group entered commercial aviation, formed the airline in January 2025, and launched domestic flights in November of that year.
The Korea push is backed by real demand: of the 4.3 million Koreans who visited Vietnam in 2025, roughly 1.9 million stayed at or used Sun Group facilities.
“Korea is clearly No. 1 for Sun Hospitality Group,” said Choi Seong‑woong, deputy general manager of sales and marketing at JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort & Spa, who spent five years working on the island and collaborating directly with the group’s owners. “Even when you combine Taiwan, China and Hong Kong, their total doesn’t come close to Korea’s numbers.”
The Incheon–Phu Quoc flight will depart Incheon daily at 12:35 PM and arrive at 4:15 PM local time. The airline’s initial target is a minimum 80% load factor. Later this year it plans to add an evening departure to reach twice‑daily frequency, and it’s negotiating with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to launch a daily Busan–Phu Quoc service around mid‑June.
The carrier’s signature pitch is the “Resort in the Sky” concept: from boarding, passengers are plugged into the Sun Group ecosystem. The airline will use a signature scent developed in collaboration with Hilton and partner with French premium bakery Eric Kayser for its onboard meals. It currently operates a single‑class economy cabin but will switch to aircraft equipped with business class after May 15. All routes include free checked baggage and complimentary in‑flight meals on sectors longer than two hours.
Choi reflected on Sun Group’s rapid transformation: “When I arrived in 2020 there was no Kiss Bridge, just one cable car and a handful of hotels. In five years the hotel count grew to five, an airline was launched, and they secured APEC. I’ve watched the ecosystem they envisioned come to life.”
Sun Phu Quoc Airlines ticket holders will get 20–30% off food and beverages and 10–15% off spa services at all Sun Group hotels, including properties in Da Nang. Second‑quarter passengers will receive free access to the Sun World Hon Thom Island cable car. On June 13, the group will officially launch “Sun Signature,” a loyalty program that consolidates points across air, hotel, theme‑park and medical services.
The airline’s fleet expansion is aggressive. It currently operates narrowbody aircraft and on February 18 in Washington, D.C., signed a deal to buy 40 Boeing 787‑9 Dreamliners. The $22.5 billion contract is the largest widebody order in Vietnamese aviation history, and Sun plans to grow the fleet to between 65 and 100 aircraft by 2030.
Pacific Air Agency (PAA) was chosen as the Korean GSA. With offices in Seoul, Incheon, Busan and Yongsan, PAA has managed passenger and cargo air distribution for more than 36 years. Reservations and ticketing are available now through Amadeus; Sabre will go live on March 27 and Galileo on April 27.
Meanwhile, Sun Group took over operations of Phu Quoc International Airport on January 1, 2026, and plans to open a new airport in time for APEC 2027. It has signed an MOU with Singapore’s Changi Airport to share operational know‑how. A 20‑minute monorail will link the new airport to the APEC venue, and related infrastructure work is underway with a target completion in the first half of 2027.
▶ [On site] Vietnam’s Sun Group opens direct air link to Korea… Sun Phu Quoc Airlines to begin Incheon service April 17
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▶ Cathay’s 80th‑anniversary special livery showcasing Hong Kong art debuts in Incheon… Incheon–Hong Kong service increases to five flights from March 30
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