Korea's air passenger traffic hits record high for Oct.

Published : Nov 25, 2018 - 14:51 Updated : Nov 25, 2018 - 14:51

South Korea's air passenger traffic reached a record high for October on increased overseas travel demand, the government said Sunday.

The number of air passengers came to 10.06 million for the month, up a solid 6.8 percent from a year earlier, according to the tally released by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

This undated file photo shows passenger planes waiting for travelers to board at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. (Yonhap)

Last month represents the third time in 2018 that the country's air passenger numbers surpassed the 10 million mark. The high figure was reached in both January and August.

The ministry attributed the latest record to a steady increase in the number of overseas travelers.

International air passenger traffic jumped 12 percent on-year to a high of 7.14 million last month, thanks to people taking advantage of so-called sandwich days between holidays to take more time off. The rise in the number of groups of Chinese tourists visiting the country and more seats offered by low-cost carriers also contributed to the increase.

The latest data showed air cargo rising 7.2 percent on-year, while people flying domestic routes backtracked 5 percent to 2.72 million as the number of visitors to Jeju Island decreased.

In the first 10 months of the year, international passenger traffic reached 71.42 million, with all destinations posting gains with the exception of travelers going to and from Oceania.

The ministry expected air passenger traffic to continue its uptrend in the coming months despite a rise in jet fuel prices, as carriers diversify routes to Southeast Asia and Europe, and more Chinese tourists arrive in the country. (Yonhap)