Jeju Air Ranks No.1 in Passenger and Cargo Transport for 3 Consecutive Months... Strengthening Route Expansion

[Asia Economy Reporter Dongwoo Lee] Jeju Air ranked first in both domestic and international passenger and cargo transportation performance in June.

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Aviation Information Portal System on the 4th, Jeju Air recorded a total of 1,235,707 domestic and international passengers last month. Jeju Air has maintained the top spot in passenger numbers among domestic airlines for three consecutive months since April.

Following Jeju Air, the airlines that transported the most domestic and international passengers were Jin Air (1,027,389), Korean Air (976,381), T'way Air (932,161), Asiana Airlines (893,935), and Air Busan (796,976), in that order.

The company also ranked first among domestic LCCs in cargo transportation this month, transporting a total of 4,833 tons. The company has steadily increased its cargo volume this year, with 1,671 tons in January, 3,273 tons in February, 3,704 tons in March, 4,548 tons in April, and 4,981 tons in May. Following were T'way Air (4,325 tons), Jin Air (4,080 tons), and Air Busan (3,230 tons), with most LCCs increasing their cargo volumes compared to early this year.

Jeju Air is strengthening domestic flights and attracting passengers since the COVID-19 pandemic. At the beginning of last month, it became the first among domestic LCCs to introduce the business class seat called ‘Business Light,’ focusing on discovering niche demand.

Since the COVID-19 situation, four new routes have been added, including Gimpo~Yeosu, Yeosu~Jeju, Jeju~Gunsan, and Gimpo~Gwangju. Once the Gimpo~Gwangju route is converted to a regular flight this month, Jeju Air will have a total of 10 regular domestic routes. From the 24th, international flights between Incheon and Saipan are also planned to resume.

Currently, cargo flights operate once a week on the Incheon~Haikou route and three times a week on the Incheon~Ho Chi Minh route. However, the Incheon~Taipei cargo route has been temporarily suspended considering the local situation, and new routes are under review.

A Jeju Air official said, "We are steadily strengthening domestic flights, including the regular operation of the Gimpo~Gwangju route from this month," and added, "We are currently in discussions with major countries to expand cargo transportation routes."