Why did international flight demand in Korea rise despite higher oil prices?

Experts said the yen’s weakness and China’s visa-free program for Korean nationals boosted demand for flights to Japan and China. An industry watcher also said shorter flight times to those destinations helped offset the effect of rising fuel surcharges.

Which routes saw the biggest increase in international passengers using Korean airports?

Flights linking Korea and Japan rose 20.3 percent to 21.3 million passengers in the January-August period. China routes increased 23 percent to 13.6 million, making both destinations the main drivers of growth.

How did Southeast Asian routes perform compared with Japan and China?

Southeast Asian routes declined while Japan and China grew strongly. Passenger numbers to Vietnam fell 5.1 percent to 6.63 million, and the Philippines fell 13.7 percent to 2.5 million, which the article links to longer flight times and higher fuel surcharges.

Number of int'l flight passengers up 10% this year despite hikes in oil prices

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Summary

The number of international flight passengers using Korean airports rose 9.8 percent to 68.44 million in the January-August period despite higher oil prices. Demand increased on Japan and China routes, while Southeast Asian routes weakened. Experts cited the yen’s weakness, China’s visa-free program for Korean nationals, and shorter flight times as key factors.

Key Facts

The data covered the January-August period and showed 68.44 million international flight passengers using Korean airports.
Travel on Korea-Japan routes rose 20.3 percent year-on-year to 21.3 million passengers.
Travel on Korea-China routes increased 23 percent to 13.6 million passengers.
Flights to Vietnam fell 5.1 percent to 6.63 million passengers, and flights to the Philippines declined 13.7 percent to 2.5 million.
An industry watcher said fuel surcharges rose with oil prices, but travelers still favored Japan and China because the flights are shorter than trips to Southeast Asia.

By Yonhap

Published Sep 26, 2026 12:13 pm KST

Travelers wait to check in to their flights at Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, Sept. 23, ahead of the Chuseok holiday. Yonhap

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 of the transportation ministry.

Experts said the yen's weakness and China's visa-free program for Korean nationals helped boost demand for flights to and from Japan and China. The number of travelers using Incheon International Airport, Korea's main gateway, for transit also increased amid the Middle East war.

By destination, the number of travelers using flights linking Korea and Japan rose 20.3 percent on-year to 21.3 million in the cited period, and the number using China flight routes increased 23 percent to 13.6 million.

Meanwhile, the number of passengers using flights to and from Southeast Asian nations markedly declined, the data showed.

The number of travelers using flights linking Korea and Vietnam fell 5.1 percent year-on-year to 6.63 million and the number of passengers for Philippine routes declined 13.7 percent to 2.5 million.

"As fuel surcharges rose in line with a spike in oil prices, more travelers chose Japan and China as flight times to those countries are one to three hours, shorter than those to Southeast Asian nations at four to six hours," an industry watcher said.

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