Salt Lake City International Airport is now one stop away from the rest of the world.
A new Delta Air Lines route will provide daily service to Seoul, South Korea, starting next summer, becoming the airport’s first direct flight linking Salt Lake City to Asia. The airport’s six international gates, which opened in 2020 as a part of the airport’s redevelopment, helped make the international service possible, a spokesperson said.
“This airport, the most important thing is to be one stop from the world, right?” Salt Lake City Department of Airports planning director Brady Fredrickson told the city’s airport advisory board earlier this year. “Be one stop from the world market. If you hit Incheon [South Korea], you’re one stop from the world.”
Incheon Airport is the main airport that serves Seoul.
The new route will take off June 12, 2025, and use an Airbus A350-900. Delta One travelers will receive a “luxury experience” on the flight with lie-flat seating, premium bedding and a seasonal chef-curated four-course meal, according to a news release.
The airline is also expanding its free Wi-Fi for all its customers, which will be available through Delta’s entire global fleet by the end of next year, according to the release.
“Strong partnerships can often have the biggest impacts on visitors and our residents,” Mayor Erin Mendenhall said in a statement. “From Delta’s Salt Lake City hub, the Incheon route will connect our capital city with 80-plus destinations in Asia, expanding our community’s global reach and what so many already know: Salt Lake City and the Mountain West are among the best places to visit and an even better place to call home.”
Additional international routes are on the horizon as the airport plans to expand the runway immediately east of the airport. The extension would allow for more passengers and cargo on long-haul flights, since airplane engine performance diminishes in Salt Lake City during the summer due to its elevation and hot temperatures.
An extension won’t be in place by the time the Seoul flights take off, a spokesperson said, but it is part of the airport’s long-term master plan.
“As we open this new gateway to Asia, I am excited to expand Utah’s global reach and foster new cultural and business partnerships,” Gov. Spencer Cox said in a statement.
Cox met with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in the country on Friday to discuss the impacts the new flight will bring to both destinations.
“Delta’s commitment to our state underscores Utah’s growing role on the world stage,” Cox continued.
