Korean Air carries over 16 mil. passengers in 2025; Tokyo tops destination list
A Korea Air aircraft is seen in this file photo. Korea Times file
Korean Air has transported more than 16 million passengers so far this year, with Tokyo marking the most popular destination among outbound travelers, the airline said Thursday.
According to the company's year-end report based on data from Jan. 1 to Nov. 10, Korean Air flew a total of 280 million kilometers throughout 2025, a distance equivalent to 560,000 round trips between Mount Baekdu and Mount Halla, two of Korea's most iconic peaks stretching from the far north to the far south.
Passenger volume reached 16.49 million, with travelers in their 30s and 40s accounting for 40 percent of the total and those in their 50s and 60s making up 30 percent.
Foreign nationals represented 35 percent of all passengers, with Americans and Chinese travelers each accounting for 24 percent of that group.
The report also highlighted unique travel patterns: the most frequent customer flew 216 times this year; 5,192 unaccompanied minors traveled using Korean Air's children assistance service; and nearly 32,000 pets were transported overseas.
Japan was the most favored destination nation for Korean travelers in 2025. Tokyo was the most popular Korea-bound destination for the second straight year, followed by Osaka and Fukuoka. Bangkok ranked fourth.
Travel to China saw sharp growth, with passengers flying from Korean cities to Shanghai increasing by 128,000 from a year earlier and those to Beijing rising by 71,000.
The most-watched in-flight movie was "Captain America: Brave New World," while the Korean rom-com "Lovely Runner" was the most-selected TV series in 2025.