'Golden Holiday' Domestic Skies Bustling After a Long Time

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Je-hoon] The aviation industry, which had been struggling due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), is finally stretching its wings thanks to a surge in domestic flights during the golden holiday period. However, the expected effect has not fully materialized as low-cost carriers (LCCs) have significantly increased domestic flights due to the suspension of international routes.

According to Korea Airports Corporation on the 30th, the total number of flights scheduled to operate on the Gimpo International Airport to Jeju route by domestic airlines from today until June 5th (including regular and temporary flights) reaches 1,464 departures. This means an average of 244 flights take off daily.

Although this is slightly lower than the average of 252.5 flights per day during the holiday period last year (May 3-6, 2019), it is more than 100 flights higher compared to the third week of March when the number of flights dropped to a minimum level (an average of 133 flights per day).

This increase is interpreted as a result of airlines competitively expanding domestic flights in anticipation of the longest six-day golden holiday. In fact, the Jeju Tourism Association expects about 180,000 tourists to visit Jeju Island during this golden holiday period.

The industry has also been increasing flights as the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases dropped to single digits this month, showing signs of easing. They expect passenger demand to rise during and after the golden holiday. A representative from a domestic airline explained, "The recovery in demand is not yet clear," adding, "We proactively responded expecting a gradual recovery in domestic flight demand along with the easing of social distancing measures after the golden holiday."

However, as each airline competitively increased domestic flights, the anticipated changes have not been fully realized. For example, on the Gimpo-Jeju route, which has the highest domestic demand, the average daily reservation rate of some airlines remained around 65% as of the 28th.

A representative from a domestic airline said, "It is true that fares have recovered to the 100,000 won range, similar to previous years, but this can also be seen as an optical illusion due to the peak season fare system," adding, "Recently, as each airline increased domestic supply, the reservation rate showed a gradual increase even as the holiday approached."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.