As travel between South Korea and China increases, domestic airlines are expanding their routes to China. Low-cost carriers (LCC) such as Eastar Jet, Jeju Air, and Jin Air, along with regional airports, are entering major Chinese routes. This expansion is driven by the influx of Chinese tourists allowed to enter without a visa and the rising demand for South Koreans to visit China.
According to Eastar Jet, the load factor for its Incheon-Shanghai route reached 96% as of August. The load factor for the Yantai route also increased from 66% in October of last year to around 94% in August. The Zhengzhou route saw a rise from the 80% range in April to 95% in just four months.
The increase in passenger demand between South Korea and China has been significantly influenced by the visa-free policy implemented by both governments. The introduction of visa-free entry for Chinese group tourists has boosted demand for travel to South Korea, while more South Koreans are traveling to major Chinese cities, creating a greater incentive to expand seat availability on these routes.
In fact, the number of passengers on routes to mainland China (excluding Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan) in the first half of this year totaled 9,544,512, marking a 22.3% increase compared to the same period last year. This figure is the second highest on record, following the first half of 2016. If this trend continues in the second half of the year, the total number of passengers on routes to China is expected to exceed 20 million for the first time.
In response to this demand recovery, the government has laid the groundwork to increase flights to China. On the same day, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport allocated operating rights for 25 international air routes to 10 national airlines after a review by the Air Traffic Advisory Committee. With the recent expansion of passenger demand between South Korea and China, the focus has been on increasing international flight supply to major Chinese cities.
Notably, the entry of LCCs and new airlines into major Chinese routes is significant. By adding operators to routes that were previously dominated by full-service carriers (FSC), the supply of flights is increased, and consumers have more airline options.
As a result, the Incheon-Beijing route will increase from 38 to 52 flights per week, with additional operating rights allocated to Eastar Jet (7 flights) and Jeju Air (7 flights). The Incheon-Shanghai route will expand from 56 to 63 flights per week, with Parata Airlines (4 flights) and Air Premia (3 flights) receiving additional routes. The Incheon-Guangzhou and Incheon-Dalian routes will each increase from 21 to 28 flights per week.
This allocation of operating rights also includes numerous routes connecting regional airports to major Chinese cities. New routes have been established, including Busan to Chengdu, Harbin, and Hangzhou; Cheongju to Dalian; Daegu to Beijing and Xiamen; Muan to Beijing, Shanghai, Yanji, and Zhangjiajie; and Yangyang to Shanghai and Hangzhou.
Importantly, the expansion of routes from regional airports to China could lead to an influx of Chinese tourists into these areas. As more flights enter regional airports directly from major Chinese cities without passing through Incheon Airport, the travel routes for Chinese tourists to regions such as Busan, Chungcheong, Daegu, Jeonnam, and Gangwon could diversify.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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