According to aviation statistics released Friday by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Korea Civil Aviation Association, the combined number of domestic and international air passengers totaled 124.79 million last year, up 3.9 percent from 120.06 million a year earlier.
The figure surpassed the previous record set in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, when passenger traffic stood at 122.36 million, by about 1.2 percent.
Domestic air travel declined 2.8 percent on the year to 30.25 million passengers, while international traffic rose 6.3 percent to a record 94.55 million, offsetting the domestic downturn.
By region, Japan-bound routes carried 27.31 million passengers, an 8.6 percent increase from the previous year and a sharp 44.8 percent jump compared with 2019 levels. Analysts attribute the rise to the prolonged weak yen and an expansion of routes, including services to smaller regional cities.
Passenger numbers on China routes climbed 22 percent to 16.8 million, recovering to 91.2 percent of pre-pandemic levels. The rebound was supported by China's visa-free entry policy for South Korean travelers, the resumption of visa-free entry for Chinese group tourists to South Korea from late September, and aggressive low-fare strategies by Chinese airlines.
As traffic concentrated on Japan and China, routes to other Asian destinations, including Southeast Asia, edged down 0.5 percent year on year to 34.82 million passengers, or 95.6 percent of 2019 levels. Transpacific routes to the Americas recorded 6.82 million passengers, up 4.7 percent, while European routes carried 4.85 million, a 5.5 percent increase.
International passenger numbers rose overall across the industry, but airline performance varied widely.
Among low-cost carriers, Jeju Air saw the steepest decline, with passenger numbers falling 9 percent to 7.78 million. Air Busan carried 4.16 million passengers, down 7.4 percent, while Air Seoul posted an 8.4 percent drop to 1.68 million.
In contrast, airlines that expanded seat capacity recorded sharp gains. Aero K saw passenger numbers surge 75.4 percent to 1.5 million, while Eastar Jet carried 3.07 million passengers, up 59.7 percent. Air Premia also posted strong growth, with 1.08 million passengers, a 42.3 percent increase.
T’way Air transported 7.06 million passengers, up 7.3 percent, while Jin Air carried 6.67 million, a 2.2 percent rise. Parata Air, a new entrant that launched international services in November, recorded about 71,000 passengers.
Among full-service carriers (FSC), Korean Air carried 19.14 million international passengers, an 8.2 percent increase, while Asiana Airlines transported 12.15 million, up 1.3 percent.
Industry officials said safety concerns following recent aviation incidents prompted some passengers to shift demand toward full-service carriers from early last year.
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