• The Incheon Port Authority (www.icpa.or.kr, President Lee Kyung-gyu) announced the resumption of passenger services on the Incheon-Dalian international ferry route between Incheon Port, South Korea, and Dalian, China on the 25th. The route recommenced after a hiatus of four years and two months.

   

• According to IPA, the ferry operator Dain Ferry Co., Ltd. suspended passenger services on the route in January 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Operations on the Incheon-Dalian route resumed on the morning of the 25th.

• Dain Ferry Co., Ltd. will deploy the ‘BIRYONG’, a 15,000-ton class ferry, on this route three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. The vessel can transport up to 500 passengers and 145 TEU of cargo per trip.

• A welcome ceremony was held to mark the resumption of service. Those in attendance included Incheon Port Authority President Lee Kyung-gyu, Liaoning Provincial Party Secretary Hao Feng, Chinese Ambassador to Korea Xing Haiming, Dalian City Deputy Mayor Leng Xuefeng, Incheon Metropolitan City Vice Mayor Park Deok-soo, Incheon Regional Office of Oceans and Fisheries Director Lee Cheol-jo, and Dain Ferry Co., Ltd. Korea Representative Kim Gwang-yong. As a gesture of goodwill, bouquets were presented to the first passengers and the captain during the ceremony which took place on the second floor of the Incheon Port International Passenger Terminal

• There are a total of 10 Korea-China ferry routes connecting Incheon and China. With the resumption of passenger services on the Dalian route, the number of active routes has increased to six, including Qingdao, Weihai, Shidao, Yantai, and Lianyungang. Ferry operators are currently evaluating the potential resumption of services on other suspended routes.

• Incheon Port Authority President Lee Kyung-gyu stated, “The resumption of passenger transport on the Incheon-Dalian route is a significant step towards re-opening the era of 1 million passengers on Korea-China ferries. We aim to create stable conditions for passenger transport in response to the growing passenger trends.”

• To improve passenger experience and convenience at the Incheon Port International Passenger Terminal, IPA has implemented several initiatives. These include opening cafes and convenience stores and creating additional passenger waiting areas to help alleviate congestion in denser areas of the terminal.

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= (Photo) The resumption ceremony of the Incheon-Dalian route at the Incheon Port International Passenger Terminal

/ Photo provided by the Incheon Port Authority