Flight passengers for April up 7.4%

The number of flight passengers in April rose 7.4 percent on-year, the Transport Ministry said Monday.

According to the ministry’s data, 8.36 million people took flights in April, continuing a steady increase from 2012. Of them, 5.7 million were international flyers, up 8 percent from last year thanks to expanded routes operated by low-cost carriers.

The most notable increases were in flights to Oceania, Japan and Southeast Asia, regions well-served by budget carriers. Flights to those areas rose between 10 and 15 percent on-year.

Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, the two largest carriers, saw a 0.6 percent increase in international flyers while budget carriers enjoyed a 42 percent increase. LCC flights now make up 17.4 percent of all international flights.

The surge of LCCs is more visible in the domestic market, where they now make up 53 percent of flights.

By Won Ho-jung (hjwon@heraldcorp.com)