Avinex President Zhou Hao (left) and Korea Airports Corp. acting President Park Jae-hee pose for a photo after signing a cooperation agreement at Shanghai Hongqiao Airport on Tuesday. (KAC) Korea Herald correspondentSHANGHAI, China -- Korea Airports Corporation is seeking closer ties with Shanghai Airport Authority, known as Avinex, to expand the aviation network connecting Korean regional airports and Shanghai amid the rapid recovery of Korea-China air travel demand.According to KAC, it signed a memorandum of understanding with Avinex on Tuesday at Shanghai Hongqiao Airport, one of two airports the state-owned operator manages in Shanghai alongside Pudong Airport.Under the agreement, the two sides will work to expand air services between Shanghai and Korea's regional airports through new routes and additional frequencies. They will also collaborate on passenger amenities and explore cooperation in smart airport technologies.The technology partnership could draw on Shanghai’s expertise in airport digitalization, including AI and digital-twin systems being developed and tested at a research facility at Hongqiao Airport."Shanghai is currently connected to five regional airports in Korea, including Cheongju and Daegu, but we see significant opportunities to expand connectivity to other cities," Avinex President Zhou Hao said at the signing ceremony.Zhou highlighted the launch of new China Eastern Airlines services to Cheongju beginning in July. "Korean travelers represent the largest group of international visitors arriving in Shanghai," he added.Park Jae-hee, acting president of KAC, said expanding air links between Shanghai and Korea’s regional airports would help boost local tourism. “We look forward to working closely with Avinex on traffic rights and slot allocations to support future route growth,” he said.The deal follows an aviation agreement reached in May between Seoul and Beijing that expanded bilateral traffic rights, opening new opportunities for airlines to add routes and frequencies.Traffic on Shanghai routes serving Korea's regional airports has risen sharply in recent years.Passenger volumes at airports including Gimhae, Jeju and Cheongju climbed from about 920,000 in 2023 to 2.2 million in 2025. The latest summer schedule already reflects the trend, with airlines adding frequencies on the Gimhae-Pudong and Jeju-Pudong routes and Cheongju launching new services to Shanghai.Shanghai's Hongqiao and Pudong airports together handle roughly 130 million passengers annually and connect to nearly 290 destinations across 49 countries, making the city one of Northeast Asia's largest aviation hubs.Beyond route expansion, the partnership could support broader economic and tourism cooperation, with both sides exploring promotional campaigns, passenger incentives and joint efforts to attract more Chinese visitors to Korea’s regions, KAC said.