Number of int'l flight passengers up 10% this year despite hikes in oil prices
The number of international flight passengers using Korean airports rose around 10 percent in the January-August period from a year earlier despite a sharp rise in oil prices, data showed Saturday. A total of 68.44 million people used international flights in the first eight months of the year, up 9.8 percent from the previous year, according to the data from the airport portal information system…
The count of passengers on international flights at Korean airports climbed about 10% in the first eight months of the year compared to the same period last year, data revealed on Saturday, even as oil prices spiked significantly. In total, 68.44 million individuals utilized international flights during January-August 2022, marking a 9.8% increase from the previous year, as per figures from the airport portal information system managed by the transportation ministry.
Analysts attributed the surge in demand for flights to and from Japan and China to the weakening yen and China's visa-free program for Korean citizens. Incheon International Airport, the primary entry point for Korean travelers, saw a rise in transit passengers as well, driven by the conflict in the Middle East. When it comes to specific destinations, the number of travelers taking flights between Korea and Japan surged by 20.3% year-over-year to 21.3 million, while the figure for China flight routes grew by 23% to 13.6 million.
Conversely, the number of passengers on flights to and from Southeast Asian countries saw a notable drop, according to the data.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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