Foreign airlines beat domestic rivals in April passengers for int'l routes

Passengers walk around the departure area of Incheon International Airport in this photo taken on July 24, 2023. Yonhap

The number of passengers on foreign airlines for international routes outpaced those of Korea's two full-service carriers in April, data showed Sunday, amid a rise in the number of overseas tourists visiting the country.

The number of passengers for routes in and out of Korea on foreign airlines came to 2.25 million in April, surpassing a combined 2.23 million posted by Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, according to data compiled by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

It marked the second time since November 2021 that the monthly number of passengers on foreign airlines has surpassed those of Korean Air and Asiana, which occurred when air travel was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In April, the number of passengers on foreign airlines increased by 50.4 percent year-on-year amid the normalizing travel, while those of the two Korean carriers increased by 32 percent.

The increase in the number of passengers on foreign airlines apparently came amid the growing number of tourists visiting Korea.

In April, the number of foreign airlines connecting to Incheon International Airport, the country's main gateway, came to 64, up from 40 two years earlier.

Other experts noted that more travelers opted to choose foreign airlines when traveling abroad, considering they offer more affordable tickets. (Yonhap)