Air passenger traffic in South Korea rose in September as a rise in demand for routes to Japan, Southeast Asia and Europe offset the steep fall in Chinese travelers, government data showed Sunday.
A total of 9.02 million passengers used international and domestic flights last month, up 4.7 percent from a year ago, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation said.
The number of passengers using international flights climbed 3.7 percent to 6.22 million despite the plunge in Chinese travelers, as airlines expanded alternative routes and stepped up marketing for Europe tour packages, the ministry said.
Air travelers to Japan and Europe gained slightly over 20 percent, and those to Southeast Asian nations advanced a solid 16.7 percent.
In contrast, passengers heading to China plunged 31.1 percent in September to mark a seventh consecutive monthly loss.
The number of passengers using low-cost carriers soared 36.5 percent to account for 26.8 percent of the market share, while full-service carriers held 42.6 percent of the market.
Domestic passenger traffic gained 6.7 percent to 2.8 million as more people traveled to the southern resort island of Jeju.
