60,000 Passengers from Incheon to Japan from 10th to 16th... 2346% Increase YoY
"A 'Relief' for LCCs with High Japanese Share"
[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Hyun-seok] Since the Japanese government allowed visa-free individual tourism, the number of Korean tourists visiting Japan has surged. In response, the aviation industry is also moving quickly, accelerating route expansions to attract travelers to Japan.
According to Incheon International Airport Corporation on the 19th, the number of passengers who used flights from Incheon International Airport to Japan from the 10th to the 16th was 61,937. During the same period last year and the year before, the numbers were 3,233 and 2,532 respectively. This represents an increase of 2,346% and 1,815%. Although it does not yet reach the 143,236 passengers in 2019 before COVID-19, the number of travelers is rapidly increasing.
In particular, on the 11th when the Japanese government allowed visa-free entry for Koreans, Asiana Airlines’ Gimpo~Haneda route recorded full occupancy with an average load factor of 98%. Additionally, Jeju Air’s Japan routes had a load factor of 97.5%, and T’way Air, which only operated the Osaka route, reached 99%.
As demand rapidly increases, both full-service carriers (FSC) and low-cost carriers (LCC) are actively expanding flights. Korean Air will increase the Gimpo~Haneda route to twice daily starting next month and operate the Incheon~Fukuoka route daily instead of Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays.
Asiana Airlines will also operate the Gimpo~Haneda route twice daily starting on the 30th. The Narita and Osaka routes departing from Incheon will increase from 10 and 7 flights per week to 12 and 10 flights respectively. From December, they plan to operate twice daily, totaling 14 flights per week. Additionally, the Nagoya and Fukuoka routes will also be expanded.
Jeju Air will resume the Gimpo~Osaka and Incheon~Sapporo routes with 14 flights per week starting on the 30th. The Incheon~Nagoya route will operate seven times weekly from November 22, and the Incheon~Okinawa route will operate seven times weekly from December 1. Notably, some routes will be increased to three flights daily starting at the end of this month.
T’way Air plans to increase the three routes departing from Incheon?Fukuoka, Osaka, and Tokyo?to three flights daily by December. Next month, they will also resume the Incheon~Sapporo, Daegu~Fukuoka, Daegu~Narita, Busan~Osaka, and Jeju~Osaka routes and begin daily operations. Other LCCs such as Jin Air and Air Busan are also rushing to expand flights.
The resumption of Japan routes is expected to be a significant boost for airlines, as Japan is a popular destination for domestic travelers, with over 7 million Korean tourists visiting in 2018 alone. Especially for LCCs, it is anticipated that the deficit will be significantly reduced in the fourth quarter. Japan routes account for more than 20% of LCCs’ revenue, making them key routes.
An aviation industry official explained, "The visa-free entry allowance by Japan is positive as it is expected to restore demand for Japan routes," adding, "We expect related demand to increase further due to recent effects such as the weak yen."
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