As Sky Routes Close, Domestic Travel Rises... Small Regional Airports See Bright Prospects

[Asia Economy Reporter Yu Je-hoon] A fresh breeze is blowing through small regional airports such as Yeosu and Yangyang airports. Due to the suspension of many international flights amid the COVID-19 pandemic, low-cost carriers (LCCs) focusing on 'travel inshoring' are actively launching routes to these airports, which are home to major tourist destinations.

According to the aviation industry on the 29th, T'way Air will operate irregular flights on the Busan·Gwangju~Yangyang route starting June 26. This is the first time this year that new routes have been established at this airport, which had barely maintained only the Yangyang~Jeju route since the COVID-19 outbreak. A T'way Air official said, "As overseas travel became difficult due to the COVID-19 situation, we considered that demand for maritime tourism and surfing might concentrate in the East Coast area," adding, "Especially, Busan and Gwangju, where access to major East Coast tourist spots by land is difficult, were judged to have sufficient demand."

Since the 2012 Yeosu Expo, Yeosu Airport has become the gateway to the representative tourist area of the southwest region, attracting airlines. According to the Aviation Information Portal operated by the Korea Aviation Association, the number of flights arriving at Yeosu Airport this month reached 242, fully recovering to 100% compared to January before the COVID-19 outbreak (242 flights).

Jeju Air has been operating one daily flight on the Yeosu~Gimpo·Jeju route since April 29, and plans to increase the frequency to four flights daily on each route starting next month on the 5th. Jin Air, the second largest in the industry, is also reportedly considering launching flights to Yeosu Airport by mid-next month. In addition, LCCs have recently been actively launching routes to airports such as Gwangju and Gunsan.

The reason LCCs are targeting domestic routes like this is due to expectations that travel demand will shift to domestic tourism after COVID-19. Some international routes are currently operating normally, and flights to some European and Southeast Asian destinations will resume from June, but due to COVID-19 testing and mandatory 14-day quarantine measures, the likelihood of these leading to actual travel demand is very low. Furthermore, recent trends of low oil prices and various airport facility fee reductions due to COVID-19 have somewhat eased airlines' fixed cost burdens, providing a background for actively promoting domestic route launches.

However, sporadic COVID-19 cluster infections following the end of social distancing measures pose a hidden challenge. Cases such as cluster infections originating from Itaewon clubs and Coupang logistics centers continue to emerge, which could always be a source of concern. Recently, nine COVID-19 cases were confirmed among group travelers from Anyang and Gunpo in Gyeonggi Province who traveled around Jeju Island, causing tension among quarantine authorities and related local governments. An industry official said, "Since the transition to daily life quarantine, the Jeju route seems to have recovered to about 70-80% of the previous level," adding, "Whether further spread occurs will be the key factor."