The Chosun Ilbo (English Edition): Daily News from Korea

February 01, 2023 10:50

Low-cost airlines' earnings are finally starting to recover from the damage caused by coronavirus lockdowns.

While flag carriers Korean Air and Asiana Airlines managed to offset sharp declines in passenger volume by boosting cargo transport, budget carriers, which mostly fly short-haul routes, were driven to the brink of bankruptcy.

But last month, the budget airlines' passenger load reached 89.9 percent, surpassing even pre-pandemic levels. The decisive factor was the reopening of Japan.

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, 675 flights connecting Incheon International Airport and Kansai International Airport in December carried 122,583 passengers. The number of flights almost returned to the pre-pandemic figure of 682 in December 2019, while the number of passengers actually rose from 91,014.

The situation was the same on the Incheon-Narita International Airport route. However, in late 2019 a boycott of all things Japanese was still going on here, which depressed demand and now makes the recovery look more dramatic on paper.