Salt Lake City's airport gets first nonstop flight to Asia

Why it matters: The new flight path will allow passengers traveling through Salt Lake City to connect to more than 50 destinations in Asia, such as Bangkok, Manila and Shanghai.

• Only four other U.S. airports fly direct to South Korea through Delta: Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Seattle.

What they're saying: "With the service we already have, and the addition of this flight, 80% of the world's population is now within one stop of Salt Lake City, Utah," said Bill Wyatt, the airport's executive director, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.

Between the lines: The direct flight to South Korea takes just under 13 hours.

The big picture: As Korean pop culture, dramas and cuisine gain global recognition, South Korea is becoming an increasingly popular travel destination.

The intrigue: The new flight is the latest example of Utah's deepening ties to South Korea.

• More than 35,000 Korean Americans live in the Beehive State, according to the Deseret News.
• The Korean American Chamber of Commerce Utah, which aims to connect Korean small business owners in the state, held its first event last year.
• The University of Utah's Asia campus, established in 2014, is located in Incheon.

By the numbers: From 2000 to 2022, the Salt Lake area's Asian population rose by 135%, per census data.