"International Passenger Numbers of National Airlines Recover to Pre-COVID Levels, Up 50% in One Year"

Domestic Flights Recover 99%
International Flights Increase 53% Compared to One Year Ago

The number of passengers using domestic airlines in the first quarter of this year has recovered to the pre-COVID-19 level of 2019. The number of international passengers increased by more than 50% in one year.

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's aviation statistics on the 10th, the number of passengers on domestic airlines from January to March was 22.53 million. This is a 28% increase compared to the same period last year. It is 96.3% of the first quarter of 2019 (about 23.39 million).

The number of domestic passengers was about 7.46 million, which is about 3.6% lower than the first quarter of last year. It is 98.7% of the first quarter of 2019. This is interpreted as domestic air travel demand shifting to international routes. The number of international passengers was about 15.08 million, which is 95.2% compared to the first quarter of 2019 (15.83 million). Compared to the first quarter of last year, it surged by 53.3%.

Meanwhile, in the first quarter of this year, the number of international passengers for full-service carriers (FSC) was 4.38 million for Korean Air, 2.85 million for Asiana Airlines, totaling 7.23 million. The number of passengers for low-cost carriers (LCC) increased by 30-40% compared to last year. Major LCCs have also surpassed the first quarter of 2019 levels. Jeju Air had the highest number of passengers among LCCs with 2.22 million, followed by T'way Air with 1.66 million and Jin Air with 1.64 million.