U.S. Air Passenger Traffic to Japan Soars to Record High in First Four Months

On May 2, the duty-free area in Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport within Incheon was bustling with tourists. [NEWS1]

Government data revealed on Tuesday that the number of air travelers flying from South Korea to Japan reached an all-time high of about 9 million during the initial four-month period of this year.

According to statistics provided by the Incheon International Airport Corporation and Korea Airports Corporation, a total of 8.88 million travelers departed from domestic airports heading to Japan between January 1 and April 28.

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Approximately 49,000 individuals utilized Incheon International Airport each day in April, leading to an estimated total exceeding 9 million passengers from January through April.

This approximate number represents an 8.8 percent rise when compared to the corresponding timeframe of the previous year and stands as the peak figure ever documented for this particular path.

The increase in trips to Japan can be linked to airlines broadening their flight paths and providing special travel deals.

Air travel to China has dramatically increased due to Beijing’s introduction of a visa-free policy for South Korean visitors starting in November.

During the months from November to March, a total of 5.72 million passengers utilized the China route, marking a significant increase of 29.4 percent compared to the figures from the previous year for the same duration.

Yonhap