A review of my experience aboard Korean Air (KE) flight KE 1429 between Seoul and Busan.
OVERVIEW
Note: All times are local. Seoul and Busan are both located within the same time zone (GMT+9).
Airline and flight number : Korean Air (KE) 1429
Route : Seoul-Incheon, South Korea (IATA code: ICN) to Busan-Gimhae, South Korea (IATA code: PUS)
Route type : Special Domestic (treated as international)
Date : Monday, 27 January 2025
Scheduled departure time (ICN) : 08:40
Actual departure time (ICN) : 09:26 [take-off]
Scheduled arrival time (PUS) : 09:50
Actual arrival time (PUS) : 10:34 [gate arrival]
Aircraft : Boeing 737-900ER
Registration number : HL8273 (delivered June 2013)
Cabin configuration : 8 Business (“Prestige”) / 165 Economy = 173 total
MY EXPERIENCE
The journey began at Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport (ICN), the main aviation gateway serving the South Korean capital of Seoul.
I was on my way to Busan, a major port city at the south-eastern corner of the Korean peninsula. Needless to say, the flight I was about to embark upon was domestic since it was between two South Korean cities and would at no point leave the country’s airspace…
…which is interesting, because ICN only serves international flights.
KE 1429 is what’s known as a transit exclusive domestic flight (TEDF): a special class of service operated by Korean Air (KE) between ICN and Busan’s Gimhae International Airport (PUS) or Daegu International Airport (TAE). I’ve written a separate guide covering TEDFs so I won’t go into a lot of detail here – suffice it to say that KE 1429 and others of its kind are operated as if they were international flights, even though the routes they ply are domestic.
Only passengers transferring from or to an international flight at ICN are permitted to use TEDFs. In my case, I’d just arrived from Manila aboard KE 626 and was due to board KE 1429 to complete my journey to PUS.
Boarding followed the usual sequence: passengers with special needs first, followed by the rest according to class of travel (with priority accorded to high-tier frequent flyer programme members).
And here’s our plane. Registration number HL8273 – an 11-year-old Boeing 737-900ER with seating for a total of 173 passengers.
Despite being a relatively older aircraft, HL8273’s seats were clad in KE’s current-generation upholstery (presumably dating from when the plane was reconfigured in 2021).
The flight was only about an hour long, but passengers were still supplied with basic amenities. Take-home earphones for the inflight entertainment system were available from a tray near the door during boarding…
…and a simple beverage service was provided in the midst of the journey. No meals or snacks of course, but I certainly appreciated the drink.
Of course, since this was an “international” flight (operationally speaking), everyone aboard had merely transited at ICN and would not officially enter Korea until after we landed at PUS. To help speed things up on the ground, blank immigration forms were handed out for passengers to complete before arrival.
I should point out that from 24th February 2025, arriving passengers can fill out an electronic arrival card up to 3 days before entry instead of the form shown above. The paper cards can still be used until December 2025, after which only the digital version will be accepted.
At PUS, our arrival was processed through the international terminal, not the domestic one. I passed through quarantine, immigration, baggage reclaim and customs here at PUS (instead of at ICN where I was simply transiting rather than arriving). I should mention that the checked bag I’d entrusted to the airline at my point of origin (Manila) was returned here, having been automatically transferred between flights at ICN as for any typical international connection.
And there we have it. A swift, seamless transfer at ICN to my final destination of PUS. If your home airport lacks a direct link to PUS or TAE, look into KE’s TEDFs as an option that fills in the gap.
Cheers and happy travels.
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Within striking distance 
Hi! I’m also thinking of taking the MNL-ICN-PUS route via Korean Air but my worry is that I won’t have enough time for the transfer (1 hr only). In your experience, did the transfer take long or can it be done within minutes from disembarking from the MNL-ICN plane. Thanks!
That’s a tighter connection than I’d personally choose, but I do think an hour is enough to make the transfer. Moreover, if you purchase the full itinerary on KE’s official website (i.e., the airline itself is offering that schedule), then I expect it’s a protected connection meaning that if you are delayed for reasons beyond your control the airline should transfer you to the next available flight. Whatever you do, make sure to purchase your ticket only on KE’s official website (not through an agent or third-party page). Cheers.