SUM Air, a Korean regional airline, has achieved its Air Carrier License (ACL), placing the new carrier on track to launch commercial operations in partnership with ATR.
The airline was developed to improve regional connectivity to Korea’s islands and underserved airports, with its name meaning “Island Air” in Korean. A core focus is Ulleungdo, an island in South Korea where an airport with a 1,200-metre runway is expected open in 2027. Japan could be on the cards as a future destination for the airline.
The next step for SUM Air will be the Air Operator Certificate (AOC) application, and the airline intends to operate a fleet of ATR 72-600s, due to the aircraft’s short take-off and landing capabilities and ATR’s well-developed network of maintenance and spare parts across Asia. ATR aims to have a total Korean fleet of 25-30 aircraft by 2030.
Photo: ATR
