Jeju Air Co. and T’way will become South Korea’s first budget carriers to operate direct flights to the Mongolian city of Ulaanbaatar.

The South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport decided to give Jeju Air, the nation’s leading low-cost carrier, a license to operate the route four times per week, and its smaller rival T’way three times a week from June through September during a meeting of its air transportation deliberation commission.

Currently, the country’s top airline Korean Air Lines Co. and the No. 2 Asiana Airlines Inc. operate the route six times per week and three times per week, respectively, and they were given a permit Thursday to add one more flight per week each.

Multiple carriers, including Jeju Air and T’way, had sought the Mongolian route, and the decision was made in accordance with due regulations and review, according to the ministry.

(Yonhap)