Int'l passenger numbers at 7 airports rebound to less than 50% of pre-pandemic levels

Passengers queue to check-in at Gimpo International Airport in this June 18 photo. Yonhap

By Jun Ji-hye

Seven international airports across the country ― except Incheon International Airport ― have seen less than a 50 percent recovery rate in the volume of international passengers compared to pre-pandemic levels.

According to Korea Airport Corporation, Friday, the number of international passengers who traveled via Gimpo, Jeju, Gimhae and four other international airports that it operates, stood at 5.24 million from January to June this year.

The volume was 49.6 percent of the corresponding figure posted in the first half of 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out.

The slow recovery was partially attributed to China's ban on group tours to Korea amid escalating tensions between Korea and China. In addition, just seven out of 22 air routes between regional airports in Korea and Japan have reopened after the end of the public health emergency.

Gimpo International Airport had the highest recovery rate, with its international passenger volume reaching 59.6 percent in the first half compared with the same period in 2019.

Smaller international airports in regions such as Cheongju and Muan had 32 percent and 23 percent recovery rates, respectively.

“The volume of international passengers is expected to rebound further on the back of increasing passengers using the international routes of regional airports to places such as Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Taiwan,” an official from the airport operator said.

He added that more than 33 million passengers traveled via domestic routes from the 13 regional airports during the first half of the year, representing 102.7 percent of the corresponding 2019 level.