[Special Stock] 'Eased Quarantine Rules · Falling International Oil Prices'... Soaring Airline Stocks

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] Airline stocks are showing an upward trend from the beginning of the trading session. This is thanks to expectations that passenger demand will increase due to the government's easing of quarantine regulations.

As of 10 a.m. on the 4th, Korean Air is trading at 31,950 KRW, up 2.40% from the previous trading day. Asiana Airlines is up 1.76%, Jeju Air 4.23%, and Jin Air is rising 3.27%.

In particular, Asiana Airlines resumed its Hawaii route for the first time in 25 months since March 2020. The load factor for the inaugural flight reached 80%. Since the government announced the plan to lift quarantine requirements on the 11th of last month, the reservation rate for the Hawaii route has reportedly more than doubled over the past three weeks. The number of passengers using Incheon International Airport also exceeded 20,000 for the first time in two years as of the 1st.

International oil prices are also declining, boosting investment demand in airline stocks. The May West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil price closed at $99.27 on the 1st. This is the first time since the 16th of last month that the price has fallen below $100.