Asiana Airlines Inc., South Korea's second-largest flag carrier, said Sunday it will launch three weekly flights to Rome starting in June, signaling a competition with its bigger home rival, Korean Air Lines Co., which has been the sole operator on the route.

The Asiana flights will be available on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays for 1 p.m. departure starting June 30, the company said.

The flights out of Rome will depart at 8:15 p.m. (local time)

Italy-based Alitalia also has said it will launch a new route connecting Incheon and Rome starting June 5 that will run three times a week. The company had suspended flights between Rome and Gimpo, another gateway west of Seoul, in the 1990s due to South Korea's economic crisis. (Yonhap)