This year, the weekly flight frequency for four major domestic routes, including Gimpo to Gimhae, has decreased by 71 flights compared to last year. Nine regional airports, including Yangyang, Muan, and Ulsan, have recorded operating losses for five consecutive years, with last year's losses amounting to 117.2 billion won.
On October 21, Democratic Party lawmaker Hwang Hee analyzed data submitted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, revealing that the weekly flight schedule for the four domestic routes decreased from 717 to 646 flights, a reduction of 71 flights or 9.9% compared to last summer.
By route, the Gimpo to Gimhae route saw the largest decrease, dropping from 237 flights to 209, a reduction of 28 flights. The Gimpo to Gimhae route decreased from 173 flights to 149, a drop of 24 flights; the Jeju to Daegu route fell from 133 to 119 flights, a decrease of 14; and the Jeju to Cheongju route saw a reduction from 174 to 169 flights, a decrease of 5. The Gimpo to Gimhae route had the highest reduction rate at 13.9%.
At Daegu Airport, domestic flight reductions have also led to a decline in passenger numbers. From January to August this year, the average monthly domestic flight frequency was 1,026, down 11.7% from 1,161 during the same period last year. Passenger numbers fell from 1,368,191 to 1,257,307, an 8.1% decrease.
Conversely, the load factor increased from 80.7% to 83.6%, a rise of 2.9 percentage points. Lawmaker Hwang's office suggested that the reduction in flight supply, in addition to a simple decrease in demand, may have contributed to the decline in passenger numbers.
Some regional airports appear to rely solely on a single airline for domestic flights. From last year to August this year, Gunsan, Wonju, and Pohang-Gyeongju airports have only seen Jin Air operating domestic flights, while Yangyang Airport has been served exclusively by Parata Airlines. The Gunsan to Jeju route has not seen any flights since Eastar Jet withdrew in March last year.
According to data from Korea Airports Corporation, the nine airports, including Yangyang, Muan, Gwangju, Ulsan, Yeosu, Sacheon, Pohang-Gyeongju, Gunsan, and Wonju, have recorded operating losses for five consecutive years from 2021 to last year. The total annual losses for these airports increased from 100.6 billion won in 2021 to 117.2 billion won last year, an increase of 16.6 billion won.
Korea Airports Corporation reported an overall operating loss of 22.3 billion won last year. In contrast, the four airports that reported profits—Gimpo, Gimhae, Jeju, and Cheongju—generated a total operating profit of 240.6 billion won.
The government has announced plans to revitalize regional airports by increasing international flights and strengthening connections between international and domestic routes. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism have also held a series of cooperation forums since April, starting in Daegu, to link regional airports with local tourism.
Lawmaker Hwang stated, “The success of revitalizing regional airports should be evaluated based on whether citizens can smoothly travel to the regions they need at the desired times,” and emphasized that the government must take proactive measures to break the cycle of reduced flight frequency leading to passenger inconvenience and worsening airport finances.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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