South Korea's largest low-cost airline AirAsia has sponsored Korean Broadcasting System's (KBS) new drama "On the Way to the Airport". The series starring Kim Ha-neul and Lee Sang-yoon is about relationships including a couple who works for the said airline.
A report by Malaysian news website The Star Online has revealed that AirAsia has sponsored "all filming scenes related to the aviation industry and scenes in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia".
According to AirAsia North Asia President Kathleen Tan, "AirAsia has always had a close relationship with popular culture. This sponsorship is a good way to support the Korean entertainment industry as well as to showcase both our brand and the airline industry in general in Korea and elsewhere in Asia, where Korean dramas are widely enjoyed."
With AirAsia being "prominently featured" in the drama, according to a Yahoo article, AirAsia Founder Tan Sri Tony Fernandes has "expressed his joy with the collaboration" on his Facebook and Twitter accounts.
In celebration of the drama's on-air debut, the airline has given away prizes for viewers of its premiere episodes. Prizes include a scale model aircraft with an autograph of the AirAsia's South Korean brand ambassador, Park Ji-Sung.
The pilot episode last Sept. 21 introduced Ha-neul's character as an AirAsia flight attendant with her wearing the airline's cabin crew red uniform. It was revealed later on that she's married to a pilot played by Shin Sung-rok. Meanwhile, her counterpart Sang-yoon works as a part-time architecture instructor.
The first two episodes have received mixed reactions from its viewers.
Ha-neul and Sang-yoon are married but in unstable relationships with their respective spouses. The two, who met because their daughters are rommates in Malaysia, have found consolation in each other.
The growing closeness between Ha-neul and Sang-yoon's character is shown in the teaser video of the upcoming episode of "On the Way to the Airport".
According to The Korea Times, some viewers commended the beautiful shot of Incheon International Airport. On the other hand, some thought of the drama to be "justifying adultery".
Here's a preview of "On the Way to the Airport" which runs every Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10 p.m. on KBS.