Busan Travel is Trending! ... Air Busan Busan-Gimpo Route Sees 30% Increase in Passengers

Air Busan A321 passenger aircraft.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hwang Du-yeol] In July, the number of passengers on Air Busan's Busan-Gimpo route increased by about 40,000 compared to March, before the social distancing measures were lifted.

According to Air Busan, the number of passengers on the Busan-Gimpo route in March, before the social distancing measures were lifted, was 124,306, but in April, after the measures were lifted, it exceeded 150,000, marking a 21% increase in just one month.

In May, the number reached 156,633, and in June, it slightly decreased to 140,353 due to the off-season effect. However, in July, it recorded 163,190 passengers, showing a 31% increase compared to March.

The load factor for the Busan-bound route also showed a sharp increase: ▲March 71% ▲April 84% ▲May 87% ▲June 90% ▲July 92%.

The total number of passengers on the Busan-Gimpo route at Gimhae Airport also increased from about 400,000 in March to 500,000 in July.

Air Busan analyzed that the increase in passengers on the Busan-Gimpo route was due to the lifting of social distancing and the rise in Busan tourists preferring domestic travel destinations.

As evidence, Air Busan stated that passengers traveling for tourism purposes tend to have a higher proportion of checked baggage, and from April, the number and weight of checked baggage steadily increased.

Additionally, the proportion of minor passengers increased by more than 50% compared to the same period last year, indicating a rise in family travelers accompanied by children.

The Busan Tourism Organization reported that visitors to Busan's representative beaches, Haeundae and Gwangalli, doubled this summer compared to last year, and the number of Busan city tour bus users has been recovering to pre-COVID-19 levels since May.

Air Busan plans to add flights during mid-August holidays and weekends, when passenger demand is concentrated, to attract more tourists to Busan and improve air traffic convenience.

An Air Busan official said, “Although this route is not a profitable one, we feel a responsibility to continuously operate flights for the convenience of business passengers and tourists frequently traveling between Busan and Seoul.”

The official added, “Based on Air Busan’s convenient schedule and safe flight capabilities, we will do our best to attract more tourists, revitalize the local economy, and enhance air traffic convenience for local residents.”

The Busan-Gimpo route is Air Busan’s first route since its establishment in 2008. Currently, it operates the most daily round trips among domestic airlines, with 14 flights on average per day, accounting for 40% of the total route passengers.

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